A Killer's Game
by KingCow336
Summary: Death was not the end of their tale. Now, caught in a battle for their immortal souls, how will a Killing Game go... when every one of them has killed before? Can even the most Blackened soul... find salvation? (WARNING: Whole series spoilers, all the way up to V3)
1. Prologue: Death is Just the Beginning

**WARNING: This Fanfiction contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the ENTIRE Danganronpa series. If you have not completed the main storyline (1-V3), please do not read unless you don't mind being spoiled. This is your last warning. With that, hope you enjoy!**

_**XXXXXX**_

"Will it really give you the hope you're looking for? I can't say I ever saw it that way..."

The plan had failed, absolutely. I can't remember the last time I'd been defeated, and yet between the remaining survivors, they had managed to discover not only my guilt, but my true identity. Out of all the possible outcomes that I could have imagined, this is by far the most painful, the most humiliating. A part of me loathes the shocked faces staring in my direction, a group of souls who mostly felt sorry for the other killers. In my case they felt nothing but resentment.

I know I can't blame them for that. To them, my moral code must seem so perversely self-centred that it's sickening. In their eyes, I'm a monster who deserves what's coming. However, by giving the keys back to Kyoko, at least I haven't damned them. Not in their eyes. Of course, it's obvious to me that the computer can't help them escape.

"Which is why..."

Which is why I had killed. There was no other option. The moment the Killing Game started, I had seen myself as its eventual victor, because I refused to view the alternative. To see myself trapped here forever, my dreams shattered and doomed to fail. To be trapped in a birdcage with a couple of hope-singing canaries and more than a few cuckoos. Or to end up dead, another victim of the mindless despair that Monokuma seemed so delighted with.

"Actually, it's not important."

Death is imminent, and unlike shit-for-brains Leon or trigger-happy Mondo I have no desire to spend my final moments being labelled a hypocrite or mocked mercilessly by a monochromatic bear. No sympathy is necessary. Things are simply how they are, and now I have to take the hand life has dealt me. The greatest gamble of my career, and it has backfired catastrophically. Such is life.

"Well then… take care everyone."

Looking around to their faces once more: to the enraged tears of Aoi; the dead cold absence of emotions in Kyoko's eyes; the idiotic confusion of Hagakure; the back of Toko's head, who won't even look at me; the smug grin of Togami; the calm fury of Sakura; and the depressing bewilderment of Naegi. Even now, he still seems to feel pity for me. How weak. At this point I've betrayed him on every level. His ability for compassion could be admired, if it weren't so foolish.

"Perhaps we'll meet again, in another life."

And now, it is time to return to the matter at hand. My death, an event which until this moment I had never given much thought. Under normal circumstances, I would have preferred to have put a plan in place for a funeral. Some Gothic-Aesthetic event, with tinted black roses and red contacts all over, mourners to wail at my demise and crowds of people on the street in a moonlit procession of candles. But of course, these were not normal circumstances. Besides that, I probably would never have prepared for my own end. I realise now that up until this moment I had never expected myself to die. How foolish.

In the background, outside of my thoughts, I can hear the bear announce something. It was time to begin. Monokuma's hammer hit the gavel. The chain I'd seen twice before wrapped itself around my neck, and dragged me into a room as black as my heart. I've got to keep smiling. Even in my defeat, I refuse to let the bear have the last laugh. I place my hands in front of me, in a position as if I'm praying. As if any god could save me now. As if any god would save me now. I've probably pissed off all the major world religion's deities in the past 24 hours. Assuming it wasn't just the void. Assuming I'm not already there.

Light began to enter the room finally. Before me lies a crowd of Monokumas, jeering and shouting. Meanwhile I am placed atop a pile of branches... and tied to a pole. So that is how it's going to be. A Monokuma with a sack for a face lights up a gleaming torch, the flame inescapable in my vision as he gently places it at my feet.

This is fine. It will be painful, but fine. There are worse ways to go. Actually, fuck that, this is one of the most excruciating ways to kill a person, but at least it is dignified. If I can just keep composure.

The flames are surrounding me now. I can feel them licking at my feet. The pure cotton dress I'm wearing has started to catch. At least it won't melt, sticking to my skin, like a polyester dress would. It was a good thing I'd gone the extra mile, you can't get this kind of expertise easily these days and it really showed. Oh who am I kidding, I'm just rambling to keep myself from thinking about the heat. The killer flames. I decide to look up now, into the pitch black ceiling. If this isn't over soon I'm going to pass out. The fumes are starting to get to me. Perhaps at this point it would be preferable to be unconscious my last few minutes. Sweat is dripping down my face in buckets. But I'm still smiling. My last victory. Monokuma won't get his satisfaction, as long as I'm still breathing.

Then, a loud sound forces my attention forwards. Several huge signs stating "HELP! HELP! THERE'S FIRE!" have sprung up at the back of the chamber, and a firetruck has appeared. It's speeding towards me now. No. No no nononononono. Please God, no, don't let this be. In front of me a ramp appears, the floor tilted upwards, as I see the truck leap towards me like Hifumi in a ballerina costume. And even though I can't see through the blazing headlights at the front of the vehicle, I know the bear is driving, with his terrible grin, as he takes my life.

I can't help myself. I scream out at the top of my lungs. And then it all goes black.

**_XXXXXX_**

_The… pain…_

_hurts… so bad… why… fire… everywhere… crushing force… unbearable…_

"Hey, Miss Ludenberg, is there still a functioning brain in there? Hello?'

_Please… stop…_

"Oh, you want the pesky little eternal-agony to end, huh? Well geez, that's a tall order, but I'm sure I could work out a deal."

_Do… anything…_

"Anything? Now that is an offer alright. Would you trade your suffering for a more nuanced kind? A more... poetic justice? Do you think you deserve that kind of mercy?"

_Please… please… the pain…_

"Talk about one note. In any case, I accept. Hope you can adapt to your new school environment, Yasuhiro! Bwahahahahahaha!"

**_XXXXXX_**

My head is pounding like my heart has rushed to my brain as I push myself upwards. Everything hurts, but not as much as it did a few moments ago. Was it all a dream? Cautiously, I open my eyes.

In front of me lies a perfectly normal looking classroom, for the most part. The main exceptions come in the form of the huge metal plates barring the windows, and the large monitoring system in the top right hand corner of the room. And on the chalkboard, in exquisite detail, lies a picture of Monokuma in a shell bikini.

My body tenses instinctively, as if preparing for an attack, but the image stays where it was. It's just a drawing. Well, sometimes it's best to be thankful for the small mercies. Now, onto business.

The events just passed were real, at least to some extent. By some miracle, I'm not dead, but I am still trapped in Hope's Peak Academy. Maybe there was a trapdoor of some kind? I honestly can't imagine how I got out of that. Still, that can wait until later. For now, I need to find out what I can about my current situation.

Looking around the room, my body still aching, I see that behind me is yet another individual sleeping. A young man with spiky purple hair and a goatee, half his arm in the sleeve of a pink coat, sleeping like a baby. Getting out of my seat (which is a hassle in its own right thanks to the now dulling pain), I make my way over to the peculiar individual and give him a 'light' push.

"Ow... what the..."

"Are you alright? I just saw you fall off your chair a moment ago." I lie to the stranger. Best to get his trust with some false concern, he may be useful in whatever is going on.

The man stands up, looking somewhat dazed and very confused. As his eyes fell on the chalkboard, he falls backwards on the floor, scuttling away with sheer terror in his eyes. Clearly, he too is familiar with the melodramatic monochromatic bear. I try to sound comforting. "Do not worry, it is just a picture. Please tell, what is the last thing you remember?"

"Last thing I remember, huh? Well... Kokichi's plan had backfired, and I was sent to be executed. Before the execution could be completed though, I passed out from from my illness... and then everything hurt for a long time and... wait, who the hell are you?" the man in pink enquired.

Who am I? Now there's a loaded question, even if this poor fool does not know it. Still, since I'm back in the game now, this gives me a perfect opportunity to start over.

"My name is Celestia Ludenberg. I am pleased to make your acquaintance. And your name is?"

With that, the man leaps up, in spite of the clear pain on his face, and gives me a gleaming smile. Looking me straight in the eyes, he proclaims in a booming voice:

"My name's Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars! Great to meet you." Kaito then extends his arm towards me, and I give it a light shake. I continue with my line of questioning.

"You wouldn't happen to be an Ultimate, would you? I myself am the Ultimate Gambler." By extending this information, hopefully I can glean more about our circumstances from him, as well as build up our relationship. He appears to have potential for C-Rank, at the very least.

As he goes to speak, I see a twitch in the corner of his lip, as if he were about to lie to me, but then decided against it. Good to know he has an easy tell. Very few have a poker face like mine, and it shows.

"I'm the Ultimate Astronaut! Or at least, I was, back when that title still meant something. Say, are we still in the Ultimate Academy? If so, how'd you get here?"

Ah, so Kaito was also trapped in the Academy. It looks like the pieces are finally coming together. I still have one more question of the utmost importance though. "Before I answer that, I must ask: were you forced to participate in a Killing Game also?"

The second the words 'Killing Game' graced my lips, I notice him tense up once more. It appears our situations are even more similar than I initially thought.

"Y-yeah. The Killing Game has been going on a while now. Wait a second..." He looks me up and down, and stares dead into my eyes. Then, out of nowhere - "Are you Monokuma in human form!?"

Ah. It seems Kaito has near-Hagakure levels of stupidity. Still, a pawn is still a pawn, even if it's from a cheap plastic chess set. "Of course not, you imbecile. I'm a student, just like yourself. I, too, was trapped in a Killing Game, and only just woke up after falling unconscious in an execution."

With that reassurance, Kaito appears to calm down. The calm doesn't last long however, as in the next few moments, a dreadful, slimy, repulsive voice sneers across the speakers in a high pitched shrill.

"Hello? Helloooooo? Testing, testing, one, two... Alright, looks like we're airing. Can all students please make their way to the Assembly Hall?"

Monokuma. The damned bear is here, wherever here is. No bother. I may have lost round one, but round two is mine.

Kaito's appearance reflects how I feel on the inside: turning a ghastly pale, he frantically turns his head around the room, as if trying to see a would-be attacker. I try to calm him down.

"Kaito, I believe at this moment in time it would wisest for us to remain calm and follow orders. Clearly the Monokuma must want something, or else we wouldn't still be here, and we will need all of our wits to overcome him."

This time I have a secondary objective in mind: to see the mastermind destroyed. As such, my approach will have to be slightly adjusted; the lie about not wanting to escape will just be a hindrance. Besides, if Naegi could gather the goons around himself, it should be no problem to an expert in social cues like myself.

At my words, Kaito appears to stop shaking, though his face is barely concealing his fear. He puts on a brave smile, contrasting sharply his ghostlike skin and beady, fearful eyes.

"Don't worry, Celeste, I'll keep you safe. Now let's go and punch a damn bear!"

With that, he starts racing towards the door of the classroom, almost leaving me behind. Some protector. I follow behind, at a more relaxed pace, with my observation on full alert. Peering down the hallway, I notice that our classroom was in the dead end of a corridor. Ahead I can hear footsteps, and the only door leading off this corridor before it makes a turn is wide open. Clearly, whoever else is here has already made their way ahead of us. On the bright side, if there's any traps up ahead, it's more likely for one of them to have set them off and hence leave the path clear for myself and Kaito.

The décor is plain, compared to Hope's Peak even: the blue carpet underfoot is scratchy and cheap, and the walls aren't even plastered, just white painted bricks. One of the LED lights overhead is flickering in a headache inducing manner. With any amount of luck I'll spend less time here than I did in the last location of misery.

As Kaito peeks around the corner, I follow his lead. No visible traps, but after what happened to Junko I should expect the unexpected. I see a foot disappearing through a set of double doors ahead on the left hand side, before they close by themselves. Kaito begins to lead us down towards them, gesturing with his hand to follow. I keep at least two meters behind as I follow, just in case. As we approach the large red doors, I turn to face my companion. A grimace has torn across his face. One benefit of people who are easily read, I believe, is that they provide assurance that you're not alone in how you feel. Nonetheless, destiny calls, and a surely worse fate awaits us out here, and so in a moment of necessary bravery we push the large doors open, one each.

As we look into the large hall, it appears we may be the last to arrive. Another pair of double doors match on the opposite wall. On each side of the hall are two balconies, with four doors above and below, and a barred window connecting the rooms behind them to this one. A prison? What could the Mastermind possibly be attempting this time?

In front of me, a group of strange characters appear to be keeping their distance from one another: a young man dressed as a chef; a lady dressed in a gorgeous maid costume; a man wearing an edgy black coat and eyeliner; a short figure in short shorts wearing a pink hoodie with faux fur; a large man with a suit and wild green hair; and...

"Sakura?" I question. Why her, out of everyone in my group, to be spared as well? Not that I'm complaining, I could have ended up with Togami, but my curiosity is intrigued. The martial artist turns to meet my gaze, then stares down at the floor forlornly. It takes me a few seconds to even notice my bodyguard-in-training is about to hit the floor, when he sputters a few words.

"Kirumi! Gonta! But... you're dead! What the... how the... how are you here?!"

Whichever one Kirumi is, she makes no reply. Perhaps she's too confused by the question to answer. Meanwhile, the giant appears to be going into a panic.

"Gonta don't know! One minutes, Gonta was being stung by insect robots, the next Gonta here! Where is here?"

A great question, I think to myself, even if he has the vocabulary of a half-burnt dictionary. In the corner I see the chef has broken down into tears and is lying in foetal position. The edgelord is smiling smugly, as if everything is going to plan, but if I were to guess I'd say he has no idea what is going on. The maid seems to be analysing her surroundings, while the fluffy pink girl looks quite ready to chew the ear off someone. However, I have my own catching up to do. I walk up to Sakura, and begin to question her about what on Earth is going on.

"I cannot be certain as to where we are, but I have some guesses. The last thing I remember was passing out after drinking some poison" she tells me in her usual monotone, albeit with more melancholy.

Curiouser and curiouser... It appears that everyone here believed that they had died before waking up here. Could it be possible the Mastermind was manipulating us the whole time, and most of the killers and victims are alive? I mean, I know with certainty that some of them are dead (I checked Hifumi myself, and Junko died right in front of us), but among the others it could be difficult to tell.

Suddenly, the double doors opposite where we came in burst open. A new group entered, looking far more agitated than the already anxious group already in the room. Firstly a blonde girl in pink with a musical-note hairpin enters the room boldly, as if daring whoever gets in her way to a fight. Behind her follows a purple haired lady in the skimpiest nurse outfit I've ever seen, completely opposite in her demeanour, head down at the floor, fidgeting with her hands. Another girl, this one with grey plaited hair and what appeared to be a sheathed sword on her back, was trying to comfort her, to no avail. The one leading charge addresses the room.

"Alright, Monokuma, what do you want with us this ti-Kaito? Gonta? Kirumi? What are you doing here?" the music girl questions.

Once more I feel my new servant Kaito start to quiver. His agitation, along with that of the room in general, seems to be growing every second.

"You answer me first Kaede! I saw you get hung, on a rope! How are you here? Are you a ghost? Are we all ghosts?" Kaito interrogates.

The proper word is 'hanged' in reference to people, I correct the imbecile in my head. I've decided not to say a thing, in case the comment on ghosts sends me into a tangent. Aside from myself and the maid, this tips everyone else overboard. The chef has started roaring crying, as has the nurse, and Gonta. The edgelord is smiling more smugly than ever, while sword-lady and pink fluffy girl look ready to kill someone. Sakura is staring at the floor in silence. The only other person to remain calm is the music girl, Kaede, who turns around trying to catch everyone's attention.

"Please, everyone, calm down! I'm sure that we can find a solution to thi..."

It's no use. Even her booming, confident voice can't penetrate the wails of the three people crying. However, everyone goes quiet once more as the double doors at the other end of the hall swing open once more. A pair of familiar faces make their way through.

Leon and Mondo. So, it appears my estimation was correct: the executions were a farce. The wannabe-rockstar, actual-baseball player seems only a tad bit on edge, and positively relaxed compared to some of the others. Meanwhile, Mondo, the biker gang leader who couldn't keep a secret, just seems melancholic and regretful, too much so to even care to be worried. Behind them follows a girl carrying a Nantendo Game Girl Advance: she seems to still be half asleep, and is dead focused on her game.

Suddenly, my heart stops when I see the figure behind her. I cry out.

"You... you're dead! I know you are, I killed you myself! HOW ARE YOU STANDING THERE?!"

Behind the gamer girl stands the oaf who ruined everything, the weakest link in my perfect plan. The greasy pervert himself, Hifumi.

Now I feel afraid. Now fear has started to enter my heart, with this surprise. The pig himself looks in horror to see me, but how he feels can be nothing compared to the trembling I feel in this moment. My outburst has caught the attention of everyone, but strangely none of them look disgusted or angry, just curious. It was an unintended show of character, one of the type I thought myself above. But this has caught me too off guard. He is dead! I checked myself! I yell out into the room,

"Just where the hell are we?!"

"Where the hell are you? You shouldn't ask questions with the answer in them, it's rude."

That voice... as soon as it speaks, all heads swivel towards a podium placed on one of the balconies above. A few seconds pass, as if building suspense for a grand entrance. Then, he jumps up, just like he did the first time, but now with a demonic set of red horns sticking out the top of his skull. Monokuma.

"Did you miss me? Come on, I know you missed me." the bear addresses us.

None of us makes a sound, no-one dares to reply. The tears have stopped, smiles have dropped, and all heads are looking up.

"Sheesh, tough crowd. Anyway, I'm guessing you all have a lot of questions. For example, how come I'm not dead? Where are we? Why is Monokuma so fabulous? The answers are you are dead, Hell, and cause I was born this way baby! Now, any questions?"

There are a lot of questions I want to ask right now, but I'm too paralysed to move. Luckily, some of us have more bravado than sense, and I hear a call from the other side of the room.

"What do you mean dead? What do you mean Hell? None of this makes any goddamn sense!" I hear shit-for-brains Leon sputter with his fists up, as if he'd take on Monokuma.

"Well you're right on one thing: there's no God-anything around here, though damning fits pretty well. In case you haven't figured out yet, all 16 of you have failed on the life goal of staying alive, and as a result you are all dead. So now, you're all stuck here with me, FOREVER! Isn't that just swell?"

For the first time, the angry chick in the fur-trim coat speaks out, in a fierce growl that was animalistic in its fury.

"Why are we stuck with you though?! What could we possibly have done to deserve this?"

The bear smirks, and giggles slightly. The giggle grows to a laugh, and then to a cackle.

"Why, only the least forgivable crime of all. Every student in this room is blackened. Every one has taken someone's life. Every single person in this room," he pauses momentarily for effect, then points a clawed finger across the room, "is a killer."

All eyes begin staring around the room, as we look to our companions in disbelief and suspicion. Some seem confused, others are in a state of shock. Meanwhile, I could feel the passion in my heart go numb. My dream has been confirmed as truly unachievable, and I must live forever with that knowledge. My legs drop beneath me as my vision starts to blur with tears. For the first time, the mastermind has filled me completely and utterly...

...with despair.

_**XXXXXX**_

"Sorry to interrupt such a dramatic plot twist, especially in our first few minutes of airing, but I have a little announcement to make."

The scene had cut away from the hall to some kind of Warden's Office, with yet another Monokuma behind the desk. The bear is staring directly into the camera, a Bloody Mary cocktail in his paw. More accurately, her paw. If Junko even counted as a woman, and not some eldritch abomination.

"As I'm sure you're all aware, not everyone present here is actually guilty of murder. I'm sure all you watching at home are most curious as to how and why certain individuals are present here, and not others. Well, rest assured, good things come to those who wait. I'm sure you'll get your answers."

Then, the bear slams its paws down onto the table, and for a moment you feel as though it is focusing its eyes on you and you alone.

"And I have a special message for the folks upstairs. If you're trying to stop me, you haven't got a hope in Hell."

_**XXXXXX**_

**Please comment & review, all feedback good and bad is appreciated.**


	2. (1-?)Ch1: Welcome to Hell!

"This doesn't seem much like torture to me."

From amidst my tears, I hear the shocking statement come the girl with her video game across the room. It seems to have caught the attention of everyone else as well. She makes her way towards the centre of the room, places the Game Girl down by her side, and stares down Monokuma. Not aggressively, but not terrified either. The stranger seems to be almost fearless of the demonic bear.

"I mean sure, the flickering light's annoying, and we're stuck living among other killers, but when you see Hell in a video game or in most contemporary descriptions there's usually a lot more brimstone and fire. So why are we here?"

The girl... has a point. While this would be the perfect torture for me in particular, for my companions it seems an odd choice. My words from earlier return to me: Monokuma must want us for something, or else we wouldn't be here. So what does he want?

"Sharp on the mark as ever Nanami! There is indeed a reason you have all been gathered here. I would like you to welcome you all to the most exciting Killing Game of all time!"

I hear a guffaw from the guy in the dark coat with eyeliner. He turns to face the bear as well, but with a slight agitation not present in the video game chick.

"Foolish beast! One cannot take hither to the depths of Hell that which already resides therein! How could a murder take place among the deceased?"

People complain that my vocabulary sometimes edges into purple prose, but it's nothing compared to this guy. Still, the meaning imparted by his statement is the question on everyone's mind: how can you kill someone already dead? Monokuma began his response.

"Does anyone else speak pseudo-magic? No? Guess I'll just have to go with what I got. While you are currently dead, your position is rather cushy comparatively. There's just as much agony and torture as one would expect in Hell, but I pulled a few strings to set this up especially for you guys! Technically, you can't die, but at any given moment..."

Monokuma pulled out a large red button and smacked one hand down on it. Suddenly -

_**XXXXXX**_

_The pain... not again... I can't..._

_**XXXXXX**_

I'm back in the room, but I've collapsed on the ground. What the fuck was that? As I raise my head up, I see that all the others have fallen down too. Trying to lift myself, I find my joints too sore to support my weight. From the sounds around me, it seems everyone else is in a similar state. The bear's cackle reverberates around us.

"...I can send you back to the same torture everyone else is feeling. This time, for good. So, if anyone happens to unfortunately pass away, they'll suffer a fate much worse than death! Bwahahahahahaha!"

I remember now, going through such pain before I woke up in the classroom. I would like to say that an eternity of torture would be better than being stuck here, but now is not the time to be hyperbolic. Besides, to be bluntly honest... I would rather stay here than ever suffer that. My body was being burned to ash, and squished with pinching pressure on all sides, and lacerated through the heart, all at once, for a moment that seemed to last forever. I can't stand up to it again.

Turning my head to one side, I can see that Kaito has managed to raise himself onto one knee, the first one of us to get up. He turns to face the bear, determination blazing in his eyes.

"You must be even crazier than I thought," he gasps for breath suddenly he doubles over, than turns back up to Monokuma, "if you think any of us would send each other back there. Why would we do that? How could that help any of us?"

Personally I can imagine at least one individual I could send to such a fate (and though I can't see him at the moment I can hear him wheezing and flopping side to side like a beached whale), but even then I'm not sure I could go that far. Like Kaito said, it serve no benefit to me whatsoever bar petty revenge, and I doubt anyone here has a better motive.

The bear turns with a start towards Kaito, and opened his jagged teeth to speak, then stops. A reflective look fills Monokuma's eyes, and then his hands shoot up to his face in a gesture of exaggerated shock.

"Of course! I never explained WHY you would want to kill another student! Then again, I thought you would have guessed the prize for anyone who wins. It's the same prize as always: freedom."

With that single word, all of the groans of pain stop dead in their tracks. Freedom. Never has a single word sounded so pure, so unbelievably desirable. It was as if a gnawing hunger had filled the air with its very mentioned.

"That's got your attention now, ain't it? That's right, the first blackened to successfully graduate gets an all expenses paid trip to Mt. Purgatorio, where they can spend hundreds of years working off their sins before making their way up to the pearly gates!"

Monokuma pulls out a laser pointer, and the ceiling lights turn off. A projected image of a fantastic mountain appears on the wall above one set of double doors. The vegetation seems reverse to a regular mountain: it becomes greener and more lush the closer it gets to the peak, atop which a gorgeous jungle pierces the sky. Meanwhile, at the bottom a barren, craggy beach is surrounded by ocean. By now, I have managed to climb to onto my knees, and my eyes fix longingly upon the photo.

"Nothing short of salvation is awaiting you at the top! Sure, the extra murder will add a bit more weight to shake off, but at least you can start climbing instead of being stuck down here. So, whatcha think? Anyone would kill for that!"

"No, that's wrong!" yells Kaede, who is back on her feet. She is starting to feel very familiar to me, but I can't quite place why.

"How do we know even a bit of what you've said is true? Assuming all the supernatural stuff is correct, which the evidence does support, what proof is there you would keep your word even if a killing occurs?"

"Nevermind would, how do we know you could keep your word?" the maid chimes in. This being the first time she's spoken, I listen in attentively.

"In any monotheistic religion I've encountered, generally Hell is a final destination, and that is it, no redemption, no second chances. How do we know you could let us out, even if we won the game?"

"A bear always keeps his word," Monokuma stutters, "and while it's true you can't be completely sure what I'm saying is true, you can be certain of one thing."

The bear waddles over to the maid, a sight which would be comical if not for the context. The tips of its horns glisten off of the projector light. The new red horns atop its head are jagged, and just now I realise them to be shaped like the Hope's Peak insignia; like the red eye of despair. The maid stands her ground, staring intensely down at the miniscule figure. At last, the bear spoke, in a hard whisper that spread throughout the room.

"Demons get real bored, real easy. So for your sake, there had better be some action."

The maid's pale skin goes white, causing sharp contrast with her midnight black dress. With those chilling words freezing us in our spots, Monokuma turns around one last time as he addresses us all.

"By the way, here's everyone's e-Handbooks. Make sure to read the school rules EXTREMELY closely. Hope you all enjoy your new school life! Buh-bye!"

With that, the bear abruptly disappears, and in his place is left a pile of digital tablets. The projector switches off and the ceiling lights turn back on, leaving us all to stare at each other in a a dead silence. A few moments pass like this, with not one person daring to move. Then, the girl with the faux fur heads towards the pile, rummages through it for a moment, and turns on one with her name taped to the back.

"Hey, what the fuck are you trying to pull here?" I hear my easily annoyed acquaintance Mondo yell from across the room, fist in hand. It's not a good sign that he's annoyed already. I had hoped the despondency would last longer, he'd be easier to deal with that way.

"Well, I don't care about you, but I don't feel like going back to THAT again by breaking a rule I didn't even know about," she sasses back towards him.

With this prompt, there's a small rush as they hoard on top of the pile, trying to find their tablet. Some of them carefully sort them out, and try to help others find theirs, like the girl with the sword and Kaede. Others just tear through the pile searching for their own, like Hifumi and Leon. I wait back until the riff-raff are done to grab mine, and I see that I'm not the only one. The maid and the video game chick appear to have waited to avoid the scramble as well. Smarter than the rest. I'll have to keep an careful eye on them.

I see my tablet, the slip of paper labelled "Taeko Yas-". I tear it off without even reading the rest, and use my sharpened nail to cut the ribbon to shreds. Unfortunately I am forced to see the name once more as I boot up the system. Truly, in this place, I seem to be surrounded by failures, both my own and others. Once the menu pops up, I swipe across and select the school rules. I analyse them thoroughly and cautiously.

_**XXXXXX**_

**#1:** Any attempt to break through external walls, ceilings or floors will result in you experiencing Hell first hand on the other side. You have been warned.

**#2:** "Nighttime" is from 10 pm to 7 am. Your cells will be locked during this period, whether you are in them or not.

**#3:** Sleeping anywhere other than your cells will be seen as rebellious behaviour and punished accordingly.

**#4:** With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore Hope's Peak Juvenile Detention Centre at your discretion.

**#5:** Violence against headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited, as is destruction of surveillance cameras. Any other items broken will not be replaced.

**#6:** Monokuma will never directly participate in a murder (unless at least a month passes without someone dying).

**#7:** Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "blackened" will be the guilty party in the class trial following. The innocent herein shall be known as the "relatively spotless".

**#8:** The Body Discovery Announcement will play as soon as three or more people discover a body for the first time. Although the soul of the damned will be returned to torture the instant "death" occurs, an otherwise perfect replica of their body will be left in their place for investigation.

**#9:** Once a murder takes place, a class trial will begin shortly thereafter. Participation is mandatory for all "surviving" students.

**#10:** If the blackened is exposed during the class trial, they alone will be punished.

**#11:** If the blackened is not exposed, the relatively spotless will be punished.

**#12:** As a reward for winning the class trial, a "surviving" blackened will be forgiven of their sins, and will be left at the bottom of Mt. Purgatorio.

**#13:** Lending your e-Handbook to another student is strictly prohibited.

**#14:** The blackened may only kill a maximum of two people during any single "Killing Game".

**#15:** If two different murders by two different blackened occur at the same time, only the one whose victim was found first will be the blackened.

**#16:** If class trials continue until only two students remain, the Killing Game will come to an end, and the remaining students will be returned to their punishment.

**#17:** Certain students have "forbidden actions". These are detailed on an irremovable anklet found on their person. Any student who breaks their forbidden action will be immediately punished.

**#18:** Additional school regulations may be added if necessary.

_**XXXXXX**_

It appears there are a lot more rules than last time, but most of them seem to be specifications. Some of them require immediate attention; I'll need to try and play Rule #2 to my advantage. Also catching my attention is the mention of a "Forbidden Action". Bending over to feel inside my boot, it does not appear that any anklet is present. Around me I notice the rest of the group doing similar. Some faces seem to fill with relief, meanwhile from beside me, I hear a not-so-satisfied Kaito.

"Well that's shit," he murmurs as he rubs his black and white anklet, digital red text circling around it, "Hey Celeste, mind helping me with this? Whoever designed these stupid things made it so the wearer can't read them."

"Why of course Kaito, it would be no problem." I tell him. Of course the last thing I want to do is put my head near his disgusting feet, especially since he's wearing nothing but a pair of slippers, but potential blackmail is key in a game like this. As I bend down to read them, a difficult task in my boots but still achievable, the anklet reads:

'Forbidden from discussing the status of the Outside World'

What could my new servant know about the outside world? If he was trapped in a Killing Game similar to mine, he shouldn't have received any information. Still, I inform him of what is written, seeing no possible upper hand to lying about it. As I inform him of this he visibly shakes for a moment with his eyes closed, fist clenched, before he sighs.

"Well, that's a bummer, but I guess I'll just have to deal with it." he tells me with an edge of disappointment in his voice. As I get back to my feet, I stare around the room to see the room in a similar cacophony to earlier. The nurse and chef are now crying and hugging each other, with the chef trying and failing to cop a feel. The edgelord has started ranting while the swordswoman is rolling her eyes in exasperation. The music chick Kaede is trying to get everyone to calm down, and is patting the big guy in the suit on the back while he's holding back tears. The woman in the maid costume is still watching observantly. Leon is yelling incoherent nonsense about going after Monokuma, Mondo is trying to talk him out of it, Sakura still isn't meeting the eyes of anyone in the room and Hifumi is still running around in circles, crying and wailing. Below me I can hear shuffling, and I look down to see the video game chick and the girl with faux fur removing their socks and shoes. Given they are the only people doing this, I presume they are the only other ones with Forbidden Actions. I make my way over and offer to "help" them with reading their anklets. The gamer chick nods, while the girl in fur scoffs loudly.

"As if I would trust the Queen of Lies herself! I can do it myself, you skank."

While it's nice to know my moniker has spread, I can't help but be taken aback by the vile attack. With that the bitch in sheep's clothing pulls out a pair of pocket mirrors, and angles them in such a way as to make what was written there visible to her, along with everyone else in the room. So much for subtlety. Her anklet reads:

"Forbidden from discussing the Tragedy, the Future Foundation, the results of other Killing Games and the Identity of the Mastermind"

How unbelievably irritating; this bitch knows who the Mastermind is, and can't tell us. Some of the other topics catch my eye too: what could the Future Foundation be, or the Tragedy? As I bend over to the video game chick's ankle, I see the same message flashing past there, and inform her as such. She sighs heavily and looks down to the floor, before putting her socks and shoes back on.

This whole situation still feels so surreal to me. I am dead. The statement still rings false, and yet I know I must believe it. Nothing makes sense if it is not the case, but even then I don't know how to feel. I suppose I am in a better position than some. With the exception of my precious pussycat Grand Bois Chéri Ludenberg, there wasn't anyone I left behind. He'll be able to handle himself, I trust. My current surroundings fill me with disgust, but surely anything is better than the torture I was put through before? But to be stuck here only until Monokuma gets bored... I cannot return to that place. Henceforth, I must win this game. This time, I will not take it as a certainty however. If I wish to escape, than I need to put all my cunning and expertise into play. I cannot underestimate my opponents again: already I can see a potential rival in Kaito's musical friend, Kaede. She reminds me far too much of Naegi: too optimistic, too hopeful, and too determined; she'll be one to watch. Among the rest, it is uncertain. Just then, a stroke of luck comes my way from Kaede herself, who has finally managed to get the others to shut up.

"Alright everyone, it's clear that we don't all know each other, and this is exactly the kind of distrust Monokuma likes to take advantage of. I think the first order of business would be to find out who knows who, and then introduce ourselves to each other. Everyone, get into one corner with the people," she pauses with a gulp for a moment, then continues, "from your Killing Game, and then we'll walk around introducing ourselves to each other."

It is a good thing someone else is taking charge, that way I can remain in the shadows. As myself, Leon, Mondo, Sakura and (ugh) Hifumi gather in one corner of the room, I can see the remaining students gathering into two of the other corners, leaving the bitch in fur all on her own. I honestly cannot tell if going into this Killing Game without anyone knowing her is to her advantage or detriment.

"Well this fucking sucks, right guys?" I hear the cocky voice of Leon exclaim. None of us seem in the humour to answer him. Mondo and Sakura are both staring at the floor, still despondent, meanwhile the pig Hifumi sweating like a pig. Luckily, it also appears for now that he is keeping his distance, even if I can smell him from here.

It is time for my second round in Hope's Peak to begin. I prepare to observe with all the focus I can. Surrounding me are those who failed in what appears to be four different Killing Games. Everyone here has killed before, so none of them can be trusted, but some will be more useful than others. It will not be long before the tension spills over, and all Hell breaks loose, but until then I must keep my calm. All I can wonder now is which one has the greatest thirst for blood. Will it be me?

_**XXXXXX**_

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	3. (2-?)Ch1: Welcome to Hell!

With each of us in our given corner, we all make our way around the room introducing ourselves to the others. I head over to the area Kaito is in and I begin with the lady in the gorgeous maid outfit, hoping to find someone of similar style. I introduce myself, and ask her name.

"My name is Kirumi Tojo. I am the Ultimate Maid, and I hope to help you with anything you need."

"I have to ask, where did you get that dress? The style is absolutely superb."

"This? Oh, I modified it myself from a standard apron with a bit of sewing. If you want I could make you something similar?"

"Thank you sincerely for the offer. I enjoy sewing myself, on occasion. Perhaps we can make dresses together sometime?"

"If that would make you happy," she smiles softly back. I have to say, in the few moments I have gotten to know her I find myself most fond of Ms. Tojo. It will be a shame to leave her here to rot, but hopefully in the meantime I can have some fun with her. In truth, I have constructed almost each of my dresses myself, as I needed to save my money for my castle, and buying my preferred fashion is quite exorbitant. At the very least it will be something to pass the time while I plan my escape.

Next up is the music girl herself, Kaede. Her face lights up like a puppy as she approaches me.

"Nice to meet ya! My name is Kaede Akamatsu, and I'm the Ultimate Pianist. What's your name?"

"My name is Celestia Ludenberg, and I am the Ultimate Gambler. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"The Ultimate Gambler? Wow, you must have a real good poker face then, huh?"

"But of course. You cannot win if you give the game away."

"That's good to hear," she says as she leans in close, "because if we want to beat Monokuma, we'll need someone who can keep a secret." She then pulls back, and begins chattering again.

"I'm sure we can all escape from this! We might be in Hell, but that doesn't mean we should give up hope!"

"Of course," I reply as she skips away, ready to introduce herself to someone else. My suspicions seems correct, she acts like a chipmunk on a sugar rush. I'll have to keep my guard up near her.

Nearby I see the large gentleman with the green hair, another one of Kaito's friends I think. Earlier on I noticed he had an odd way of speaking. I hope it was just the peculiar situation, and he's not always like that.

"It is nice to be meeting you. Gonta's name is Gonta Gokuhara, and Gonta is Ultimate Entymologist," Gonta informs me. It appears I'm not so lucky. I introduce him to my name and talent.

"Gonta not good at gambling. Gonta tried playing in casino once with Kaito, but Kaito tell Gonta he lost. Celestia must be very clever lady as well as pretty lady."

"You're very kind," I tell him, and I mean it. Gonta appears to be as dumb as a stump, but if his body is as strong as it appears, I could see how he could cause serious injury. After all, to be here he must have killed someone. I do hope he doesn't have his insects with him, even the thought of bugs flying makes my skin crawl.

The last one from this group is my already acquainted servant Kaito, but in the interest of maintaining appearances I decide to speak with him anyway.

"Heya Celeste, are you okay? I know that what we were told just there was quite a shock."

"I am quite alright Kaito. While I was quite perturbed, I assure you that there will be a way out of this," for me, I add internally. Kaito punches his fist against his hand in response.

"You're right! We'll find a way out of here, and til then, I'll keep all my friends safe! That includes you," Kaito replies in determintation.

"I am quite relieved to hear that," I tell him. I already have one possible victim seeking vengeance, so having Kaito to deal with Hifumi, should it come to that, will be to my benefit.

With the group in this corner done, I make my way over to the other large group, consisting of five individuals. Along the way, the one in the nurse costume begins to walk towards me, and then trips and falls along the way into a... compromising position. The swordswoman slaps her hand against her head audibly, and I wait for the nurse to pick herself up.

"I'm so so sorry, I didn't mean for y-you to see that. I'm so clumsy sometimes, I trip over thin air. M-m-my name is m-Mikan Tsumiki, and I'm the Ultimate Nurse," the klutz informs me. I respond with my own name and talent.

"Ultimate Gambler, huh? I-I-I wonder how you'd do against the Ultimate Lucky Student," Mikan asks. The question strikes a nerve.

"Are you saying my skill is entirely down to luck?" I answer, calmly but sternly. In response she runs off, wailing.

"I'm sorry for asking!" she screeches as she runs to the next group like the hounds of hell were after her. I didn't mean to scare her off that much. The thought occurs to me that she may have meant a different Lucky Student. Wasn't there one in each year, or something like that? Still, the comparison is a sore spot, especially now. The swordswoman approaches me moments afterwards.

"Do not mind her, she is like that with everyone. My name is Peko Pekoyama, and I am the Ultimate Swordswoman. It is nice to meet you." I shake her hand, and notice as I do so that her whole body is tensed, ready to jump into action at a moments notice. Once I introduce myself, I ask about the sword on her back.

"Do not worry, it is only a bamboo blade. Though works as an okay weapon in capable hands, it is nothing in the hands of an amateur."

"It is good to hear that. If someone were to die from blunt force trauma, we'd know exactly where to look," I hint, somewhat passive-aggressively. I want to get the message across that no-one will be dying at the hands of that thing. Expectedly, this somewhat offends her.

"Trust me, Ms. Ludenberg, I have nothing left to fight for, much less kill. Besides, those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones," Peko warns. With that she heads off to the next group. With any luck, though I've intentionally gotten off on poor footing, I've removed the possible threat of death by bamboo sword. I'll have to fix her opinion of me with an apology later though. With that added to my internal planner, I make my way towards the chef in the room.

"Why hello there madamoiselle! I'm sorry we had to meet in such a trying place, but it's no Hell with ladies like you around. My name's Teru-Teru Hanamura, and I'm known as the Ultimate Chef, even if technically I'm the Ultimate Cook. And what would such a fine specimen as yourself be called?"

"Celestia Ludenberg, Ultimate Gambler. I am glad to hear there will be a proper dinner in this place, if nothing else."

"Ludenberg, eh? Well if you want, I've got some German Sausage I could whip up for you later..."

"Ah ha ha, let me make myself clear. If I suspect there is even a hint of something off with my food, or in how you act towards me, I will have no concerns turning your genitalia into gyoza. Comprenez-vous?"

"C-Crystal clear, mademoiselle," Teru-Teru responds before tipping his hat and walking off in a brisk pace. He's almost as bad as Hifumi in terms of pervertedness, and his haircut nearly makes Mondo's look sensible, but at least he has a worthwhile talent. With any luck he'll be among the first to go. As I turn around, my eyes meet those of someone with as much eyeliner as mine.

"I can sense the mystic energies of the powerful witch emanating from your blood, but know that I, the archdemon Gundham Tanakha, shall not be tamed by your wrath!" he yells unnervingly close to my face, flecks of spit getting on my cheek. This day really could not get any better.

"Ah, it is nice to hear there is someone helping our case. My name is Celestia Ludenberg, and I am the Ultimate Gambler. As an 'archdemon', I must ask, surely you could just break us out of here, correct?" This reduces his smile by a mild amount.

"My powers have been taken from me by some unseen troupe, and until I have regained them I am cursed to trudge among the common damned. However, once I am returned to my status in the Nine Hells, all shall fear me and obey!" he retorts, walking off without even telling me his Talent, clearly too stuck in his own head to care. I can ask later, if I'm bothered. Right now, I still have one girl left in this corner to interview. The gamer chick who stood up to Monokuma, and not in the flashy way Kaede does it. I wonder what her story is?

"You didn't treat my friends very nicely," she murmurs as I approach. She barely looks up from her game to acknowledge me.

"That is quite a forward way of putting it. What about how they treated me?" I say in return. She shakes her head as I see her turning her Nantendo off.

"They were trying to be friendly. Teru-Teru was out of order, but you had no reason to treat the others how you did. I hope you guys will be able to make up later though." With that she stands up and looks up to me, then extends her hand.

"Chiaki Nanami, Ultimate Gamer. It's nice to meet you Celeste, and I hope we can be friends too."

"It is a pleasure to mee-how do you know my name?" I ask. She said it with such confidence, as if she knew me personally. In response she points down to her anklet , and gives a trying smile. How absolutely infuriating, but I continue to smile anyway.

"Hopefully I'll get to play a game with you some time Celeste. Though I wouldn't be confident enough to bet anything, it'd be nice to face a challenge." With that she makes her way towards the rest of my group, Game Girl in hand. There is something very off with Chiaki Nanami. If I have the time before I escape, I would like to figure out what it is.

Out of the sake of politeness and necessity, I make my way over to the lonely bitch in the faux fur. She already knows me, but I know nothing of her, which puts me at a disadvantage. With some strategic manoeuvring, that won't be the case by the end of this conversation. I ask for her name.

"I'll only say it once, so listen close. My name is Ruraka Ando, and I'm the Ultimate... Ultimate..." she starts, then stops. Her hands fling to her head, and she begins squeezing her head tensely.

"I... I can't remember my talent. Why... why can't I remember?" she wails. Pulling her hair, tears drop from her eyes. She begins to curse incoherently, then turns off the waterworks as she faces me. I offer her a hankerchief, which she takes and blows into loudly.

"Thanks Celeste. I bet that stupid Monokuma did this." she replied.

"It is not a problem. I understand how difficult it can be to adapt to such abnormal circumstances, especially when you have to do it all on your own," I reply. I await a response, but instead of more information all I get is more salt water.

"Waaah! I-I'm so glad that there's someone here who would treat me nicely. Thanks t-to you, I'll at least have a friendly face while I'm stuck here," Ruraka says appreciatively. Seemingly. Her lips are turned slightly upwards, in a common tell to indicate a person is lying. In this case, it may be to my advantage to pretend to buy it.

"Of course, and if you ever have need of any assistance, please do not hesitate to ask," I respond with my own false, but realistic smile. My handkerchief is handed back to me, dripping. I fold it inside another one, and come to the conclusion that my first stop shall be the laundry room. Assuming this place has one...

With all the introductions done, Kaede has run up the stairs onto one of the balconies. I believe she wants to set herself as the group leader, which presently I am not against. Turning towards us, Kaede begins to give out some orders in a booming, encouraging voice.

"Alright everyone, now that we're all introduced, I think it's time to start thinking long term! I'm certain that we can get out of here, but to do that, we'll all need to cooperate. We also need to find out as much as we can about where we are. For that reason, I suggest we split into groups of three and make our way around this 'Juvenile Detention Centre'. Kirumi, Gonta, and I will head through that set of doors with Mondo, Leon and Sakura to search one side of the building. Gundham, Chiaki and Teru-Teru can search the other side of the building with Ruruka, Peko, and Mikan. That leaves Celeste, Kaito, and... Hifumi I guess, to search through our cells."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" caterwauls Hifumi, running backwards from the group, "You can't put me with that madwoman, she'll kill me again, just like she killed that stuck up lawmaker!" He points his quivering finger towards me as he pushes his back up against the wall, and all heads turn to face me.

Well, this is shit. Truly, things could not have turned out more poorly in this situation. As I observe the room, I notice a fire burning like Hell in the eyes of Mondo Oowada. Oh dear. He completely slipped my mind. I have to act fast, or the first victim of this Killing Game shall be me.

"What are you talking about? You killed Ishimaru, not me!" I yell back, deflecting the blame back at him. Everyone turns to face him once more, except Mondo. I can hear him murmuring under his voice.

"Well, I only did it cause you told me to, you psycho! I should never have trusted a 3D woman!" Hifumi retorts. Thankfully, his pathetic excuse of a debate has doomed himself more than me. Mondo has now started to mutter more loudly, and is rocking back and forth slightly.

"You... killed my bro," he says calmly softly. After a brief pause, he looks up to Hifumi, walking as he continues, "I'm gonna kill you. I'm gonna FUCKING SKIN YOU YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

With that he delivers a sharp uppercut to the pig, knocking him sideways from the wall down to the floor, blood spurting from his maw. As he hits the ground, Mondo pounces atop him like a wild tiger, and raises his arm for a finishing blow. Unfortunately, Sakura stops him from continuing and eliminating both of my problems at once. As she holds back his arms, she begins to address him.

"You do not know the whole story, Mondo. She is equally guilty for his crime, as much as each of us is guilty," she informs him, as he struggles to escape her grasp.

"He killed my best bro Sakura! He killed... she killed..."

"And right now, another killing is exactly what Monokuma would want. If Taka were here, would he want you to do this?" With this, Mondo stopped struggling, and he began to sob. Strange, I do not recall him crying even at his own trial. Were they lovers? Or is this just friendship taken to its highest level? In either case, news of Ishimaru's death seems to have effected him more than even I could have predicted. Reluctantly, he stands up, and I can hear Hifumi sobbing, tears of pain and relief.

With the scene over and done with, I turn now to see how the others are reacting. As soon as Mondo is off Hifumi, Mikan rushes in to check his injuries. Most are keeping their eyes on the scene, while some are sending daggers my way. Mikan calls out that the injuries are non-life threatening, and a sigh of relief seeps across the room. Even this leaves an evident tension however, which condenses like a bad smell as Mikan throws some paracetamol in his mouth. This goes little to dissuade his wailing and coughing, which could get on even the most empathetic person's nerves. Personally, it makes my nerves want to vomit. As Sakura lets go of Mondo, he turns to face me, the fire still burning in his wet, blotchy eyes.

"One wrong move, and you're dead bitch. Got that? And the same to you, fat bastard," he threatens, spitting on Hifumi as he does so.

Kirumi steps forward into the centre of the group, placing her arms at length towards the two of us, grabbing everyone's attention. Once it is clear that we are not going to attack each other, she lowers her arms and talks calmly as she addresses each of us.

"What Sakura said is right. Something we must accept is that all of us have killed another person. We are all here because of the same reason. We cannot judge each other based on what we did in the past, only on their behaviours going forward, and hopefully we can prevent ourselves from making the same mistakes again."

With this, the whole room goes silent. Kirumi has come to my defence in such an eloquent manner, I am more than slightly surprised. Of course, it is to her advantage too if we are not fighting, but getting between us was a brave move. After another moment, Mondo turns his head away, still snarling like a wild dog. Kaede attempts to gather our attention again.

"Alright, so maybe it would be better if Kaito and Celeste were to go with Ruraka, while Mikan and Peko stay here. While searching, keep an eye out for medical supplies, and if any group finds an ice pack than make sure to report back here straight away to help treat Hifumi. Any questions?"

"Gonta has question," the large man enquires as he raises his hand slowly like a schoolboy, "Where is Korekiyo? Gonta think he kill people too, but he not here."

"That's an excellent question Gonta! 10/10, would question again!" responds Monokuma, as he bounces up behind Kaede. The sudden shock nearly sends her over the shallow balcony railing, but luckily for her she grabs it in time.

"Stop screwing with us and spit out already Monokuma," Kaito yells up to him loudly, but with slightly more irritance than before.

"Jeez, fine, fine, I'll get to the point. Delinquents, no sense of patience, I haven't given a motive and already you're out to kill each other," he shrieks in his insufferable voice as he points to Hifumi, who is sobbing in an equally insufferable manner.

"Back to the question at hand however... There was an unfortunate accident with Korekiyo Shinjugi's soul. Before he could reach any afterlife, he was exorcised on the mortal plane with salt. Now, a soul in transition from one plane to the next is very fragile, so even such an archaic method was able to rid us of his soul completely. As such, he will unfortunately not be participating in this Killing Game."

Among the participants from Kaito's game, there are mixed reactions. Kaede seems upset, and Gonta seems disheartened, but not as much as one would expect from hearing of a friend's death. Kirumi seems nonchalant, as ever, and under his breath I can barely hear Kaito thanking God. Seems this Korekiyo fellow wasn't the most popular person around. After finishing his announcement, Monokuma suddenly stops dead moving, and then appears to begin counting us.

"...thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. Fifteen! That won't do, every Killing Game has had SIXTEEN students. We can't break tradition at this point, or we'll be thrown off the air! Whatever will we do?" Monokuma shrills in a seeming agitation, hands on the side of his head as he swerves from side to side.

"Wait, uh... but I thought there were only fifteen students in our class? Then again, I could've miscounted..." asks Leon, hesitantly.

"Oh yeah, you all died before you could meet her! There was a sixteenth student in your game named Mukuru Ikusaba, the Ultimate Soldier, although she didn't introduce herself to you guys. Don't worry, she wasn't important," comments Monokuma, raising more questions as he answers Leon's one. Is this Ikusaba the mastermind? Or just another victim? Perhaps she rescued our class from the school, and that's why no-one else is here. It seems unlikely for Togami to have not committed a murder unless he escaped first. I barely have time to contemplate these before the bear continues.

"What to do, what to do... I know! I'll just have sub in someone else from a Killing Game, who's already in Hell, to add conflict and drama to the group! But who will it be?" he questions, as he selects his gaze across the room, "Will I choose the Ultimate Soldier, to add some suspicion and distrust? Will I add the Ultimate Supreme Liar himself, to throw in some unpredictability? How about the childhood best frenemy, to add some drama?" With each suggestion, some group in the room seems to tense. First those from my Killing Game, than those from Kaito's and then just Ruruka. A thick silence descends on the room. Then a lightbulb lights up over Monokuma's head, in a cartoonish fashion.

"Oh who am I kidding, I gotta feed the fanboys and fangirls or we'll never get anyone watching. So here he is, to add the suspicion, distrust, unpredictability, and drama, I present the one and only..."

With that, I feel heat blaze across the back of my neck, following which all the lights turn off. Turning around, I see flames billowing from a cell on the balcony opposite the bear. In front of the door of the cell stands the outline of a figure, with wild hair and an open jacket, which flows from a warm breeze behind him. I hear a laugh, somewhat similar to incoherent lunatic dying of asthma. From beside me I hear a terrified scream cut through the air, followed by an alarming thud. I turn my eyes to see the usually indomitable Chiaki Nanami collapsed on the floor, unconscious. I look back up to the figure, who has begun descending down the spiral staircase. His white hair contrasts with his dark blue eyes, which swirl with madness. He gives us a friendly smile and wave as the bear finishes.

"Nagito Komaeda!"

_**XXXXXX**_

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	4. (3-?)Ch1: Welcome to Hell!

The response to this new arrival mixes from caution to outright aggression. Ruruka, my group and Kaito's group tense automatically (with the exception of Hifumi, who is still moaning on the floor). Meanwhile, Chiaki's friends each react quickly and decisively. Mikan rushes from the land whale to her fallen companion, and while checking vitals she gives Nagito a disgusted glance. Gundham and Peko jump in front of her fallen body in battle positions, Peko prepares to use her sword, Gundham hissing like a snake at the newcomer. Finally, Teru-Teru turns beet red, and starts to roll up his sleeves. Nagito seems indifferent to this, and continues to beam with a seemingly friendly smile.

"Jeez, Monokuma, you didn't need to give a big grand entrance. I mean, compared to these guys, I'm nothing," he says in mild complaint to the bear. In response, it shrugs it shoulders and disappears in a puff of smoke. I can see Kaede relax only slightly with its disappearance, cold sweat still pressed on her forehead.

"Erase from your mind a grand entrance, I speak for all the underlings here when I deem it preferable that you had never returned at all!" responds Gundham, aggression laced in his deep voice. Nagito merely chuckles in response.

"Forgive me for being selfish, but I just couldn't bring myself to say no to another chance to be among Ultimates. Even lowly trash like me can feel the warm glow of your presence," Nagito says, hugging himself slightly, a gleam of light appearing in his eyes. It gives even me chills. He explains further, "and besides that, I needed an answer to a question I've had since my death."

"What question is so important it could drag you from whatever miserable corner of Hell you were in?" Peko asks, barely masking the irritance in her voice, and hand ready on her sword hilt.

"Well, I just had to know who killed me! And now, I can sleep easy knowing it was Chiaki Nanami," responds the strange individual, causing each of us to turn our attention to her temporarily. It appears I am no longer the only person stuck with their victim. This could be to my advantage, if I play it right, but I'll need to act carefully on it. Mikan has elevated Chiaki's legs using her apron bundled up, and as we look at her she stands up.

"S-s-she's stable," she informs us, then giving another dirty look towards Nagito as she states, "no thanks to you!"

"Would you be defending her so much if you knew she was the traitor for the Future Foundation?" asks the creepy newcomer. There's a gulp from a few individuals, including Peko, Mikan, Gundham and Ruraka. Isn't her forbidden action based around that society? I hope this guy may have more information.

"The Future Foundation? What nonsense are you on 'bout now?" asked Teru-Teru, patience wearing thin and accent getting more outrageous. I can see behind him Sakura is prepared to stop another fight, should one break out.

"The Future Foundation... when I perished, we believed them to be responsible for our capture," responded Peko, eyes never moving from her target.

"How dare you accuse Nanami of such treachery! If she is truly responsible for your demise, and this isn't one of your foolish mortal games, it was an act of immense charity upon the world that she rid you of it," retorts Gundham, eyes squinting and nails clawing at the air, as if ready to scratch Nagito's face off. The disturbing young man only chuckled in response.

"I understand if you don't believe me. After all, for the most part I'm truly useless. But if you doubt me so much, we can always ask her when she wakes up, right?" he smiles widely as he asks. A memory pops into my head, and thus I reach for an opportunity.

"Pardon me, but I'm afraid that will not be possible. You may not be aware, but certain members of our group have Forbidden Actions which will eliminate them from the game if activated. Chiaki cannot discuss the Future Foundation, and hence cannot admit guilt or protest innocence. Ergo, you have only your words to support you."

The speech, delivered in my usual calm tone, appears to catch the attention of Chiaki's defenders, a tad bit of consideration on their faces. Hopefully defending their friend will go towards getting me on their good side. Nagito turns to face me, and in spite of the seeming impossibility of it, his smile grows even wider. His eyes swirl with madness.

"Oh wow, in all this craziness I've forgotten that I'm in the face of strangers. My name's Nagito Komaeda, and even though it's not much, I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student," he replies, giving a friendly wave to the crowd. No one is impressed, least of all me. The last thing I need is another 'Lucky Student', if he's as much of a nuisance as Makoto. After addressing everyone, he turns back to me.

"You're Celestia Ludenberg, Ultimate Gambler, and third... well, technically fourth killer of the first Killing Game, right?" the weirdo asks. Yet more questions must be asked, but his note on our Killing Game also catches my attention. The order of our events could give key insight into the other groups. Back to the more obvious issue however.

"How... how do you know that?" I question him back, carefully trying to read him. His poker face is excellent. It's very difficult to get a reading.

"Oh, I read about it in a file Monokuma gave us on the outcome of the first Killing Game," he casually mentions.

"The outcome? Then, do you know what happened to our friends? Who the mastermind was?" Sakura perks up, unusually inquisitive for herself.

"Of course I do. But I can't tell you."

"Great, let me guess, another Forbidden Action," the irritated Leon moans.

"No, I just don't want to," Nagito informs us. That bitch. He doesn't even have the excuse of saving his own skin. He continues, "you see, if I just tell you how it all played out, a ton of the mystery will be gone, and the game will end sooner. As you can imagine, I want to spend as much time with you guys as possible. So, I can't tell you how it ended."

Mondo, Leon, even Sakura, have all turned crimson in rage. If not for my own power of emotional control, I'd probably appear the same. How the hell did this guy end up the last one killed in his game? I've known him for all of two minutes and my blood is boiling. Looking over, Kirumi seems cool as ever, Gonta looks confused and upset at everyone fighting, and Kaito is, much like myself but more obviously, pissed off. The tension in the room is at an all time high, but thankfully now it is not focused on me. Luckily, the chipmunk of positivity jumps into the fray to try and dissolve it.

"Okay guys, we all need to calm down," Kaede interrupts as she stands out into the middle of the room. "Remember, we still need to get ice for Hifumi, and probably a glass of water for Chiaki when she wakes up. Gundham, Teru-Teru, since Chiaki can't go with you-"

"-I suggest Nagito goes with them," I interrupt, "Since they seem familiar with him, and while they are aggressive towards him, they will be obvious suspects should anything happen to him."

My perfectly logical reasoning cannot help but get the group to murmur in agreement. Kaede doesn't seem too happy with my argument, but is probably glad of its outcome. She begins to talk once more.

"Alright then, I guess we're all sorted. Now come on, we've only got a few hours til night time and we want to know the lay of this place if we're gonna escape. Let's go team!" she enthusiastically cheers, with only Kaito and Gonta being encouraged by her speech. Still, we begin moving out. As I make my way across the room to Ruraka, Mondo heads the opposite direction following Sakura and Leon. I hear, faintly, him murmur as I walk past.

"Dead meat bitch. You're dead fucking meat."

You know what they say, out of the fire, into the path of the firetruck.

_**XXXXXX**_

Kaito, Ruruka and I make our way out of the double doors we had been through once before, alongside our partner group of Gundham, Teru-Teru and Nagito. Before us lay three hallways: one directly in front; one on the right; and one on the left, which lead back to the classroom Kaito and I had started in. Down the middle hallway lay a staircase traveling up to the next floor, thankfully unbarred. I suggested our groups split, with us taking downstairs. With minimal hesitation, the freak, the pervert and the creep head up the stairs, leaving me to begin my own plans with Kaito and Ruruka.

We scout through the rooms downstairs, and it appears there's not much to see. Between the two hallways there are four classrooms, each functionally identical, but changed slightly in wall colour and carpeting. None of the colour combinations resemble good taste, and there's a flickering light in almost every room in addition to the hallways. I can feel these petty grievances wearing down my sanity a millimetre at a time. Along the way, I begin to make an effort to bond slightly with my companions, as I need their trust for what I'm about to do next.

"This is quite the situation we are caught in, but I suppose it's somewhat familiar to all of us," I start off while we search through the classroom desks.

"You're right there, Celeste. Still, I can't say I ever expected to end up in... this place. The people here are bit scary, to say the least, but at least I have my friends with me," Kaito responds. Ruruka looks a bit put off with this statement.

"Yeah, well I've always ended up working on my own anyways, so it's not that big of a deal to me," responds Ruruka in a sour tone. "So, who do you think's gonna snap first? My money's on that weirdo in black, Gundham. He's all high and mighty, but when he realises he's nothing special he'll lose it, I'd say."

"Interesting speculation, but if I were to place a bet, I'd put money on Mondo Oowada," I respond, trying to throw him under the bus as much as I can, "he seems rather hot-headed, and has already reacted quite violently."

"Not that you helped," responds Ruruka.

"I am guilty of the death of his friend, yes, but he is likewise guilty of such a crime, like each of us. It was his choice to react the way he did."

"I guess you're right, Celeste, but I can't help feel a bit sorry for him. I mean, if someone killed one of my best friends, I'd be pretty pissed off at them. But the Killing Game changes things, and people. At least maybe when you explain your side of the story he'll probably calm down" Kaito suggests supportively. Ha, as if. If only my motive were sympathetic, perhaps I could get Mondo's forgiveness and remove this threat. However, the self-professed self-centredness of it would likely make him kill me on the spot.

"I do not feel that is an option, sadly. There is no spin I could give it to make him forgive me."

"Do you wanna put money on it? Ten bucks on Gundham, ten on Mondo. I'm always up for a bet, even against the Ultimate Gambler," Ruruka asks slyly.

"Can we change the topic? This whole topic is making me feel sick," Kaito pipes in.

"Yeah, sure thing. Not like money's worth anything here anyway. Sooo... what are the people your class like? Kaede seems nice," Ruruka questions, while sticking her head under a desk to analyse the bottom.

"They're nice people. None of them deserve to be here, if you ask me," Kaito responds, checking a small cupboard in the back of the class.

"Do you deserve to be here, in your own opinion?" I interject, curious as to his response. He pauses in his search momentarily, than gives a sigh.

"I... dunno. It's not really me who gets to decide. I thought I did okay, but I suppose a murder is a murder. Still, I thought I was a good person. I guess... I guess not," Kaito tells us, voice dripping with melancholy. I wonder if stupidity is a sin? If so, that could be the only other thing against Kaito I could hold so far. It seems odd. Some of the people here don't seem to fit.

"What about you Celeste? Do you deserve to be here?" Ruruka shrills.

Being honest, under conventional morality? Probably. I have taken the lives of multiple people, only as necessary in the underground gambling scene. All of my goals were materialistic in nature: the beautiful castle, the vampire butlers, the gothic-lolita clothes, all of it. I still don't think, by my own standards, that I deserve to be here.

"I lived my life by my own rules, and if whatever power up above decides I should be here then so be it. But in my opinion, I should be somewhere better. I had a dream and chased it all my life: what is more passionate or noble than that? Someone of my skill and talent deserves only the finest things," I tell Ruruka determinedly. The truth is, I feel I deserve the best because I need the best. I need the finest things, because my magnetic pull towards them is so strong. If that makes me a bad person, then I don't care. They say God helps those who help themselves, and I have always helped myself.

"I guess if talent were enough to get into heaven, we'd all be in already. I mean, I'm like so gifted in my field that it's not even fair to anyone competing," Ruruka continues on from me.

"I thought you couldn't remember your talent?"

"I can't remember what it is Celeste, but I know I was damn good at... whatever it was."

"I see, I see."

"Maybe we could try some different stuff later on, see if that jogs your memory? Even if you can't remember what it is, you should still be able to use your ability," Kaito suggests.

"That sounds like a scrum-diddly-umptious plan Kaito! I'll make sure to hold you to it," Ruruka responds, cheerfully. She's still hiding something, I'm sure of it, but what it is I can't say for certain. Making our way out of the last monotonous classroom, I begin to put my plan into motion as we head up the stairs.

"I'm so glad that I was put in a group with trustworthy people, and not with that strange figure Nagito," I offer as bait. Luckily, Ruruka takes it immediately.

"Too right. I wouldn't trust him not to eat a chocolate bar for ten minutes," she adds. I give a smile, then turn to the others, stopping at the bottom step. I turn my voice down very low, and whisper quietly as a mouse

"It may be to our advantage to listen in on them before we combine our groups once more. The more information we have, the safer we can keep each of our friends. Monokuma wouldn't have put him in if he wasn't dangerous, and unlike his classmates we need all the help we can get to stay safe," I explain. This is only step one of my plan, but it is crucial for what is to follow. I extend my hands to each of them.

Ruruka shakes immediately, a firm grip, her lips still turned up slightly. I can tell she rightfully doesn't trust me, but the feeling is mutual. I believe she is looking out for herself, like me, and so we can work together now on a bridge of mutual distrust. Kaito takes a moment, murmurs something about keeping his friends safe and takes my other hand, a bit limper and less enthusiastic. Now we are in collaboration: the game is afoot.

_**XXXXXX**_

The top of the stairs holds a landing area, around which lies another hallway, leading back in the direction of the cells, two doors on either side. Luck seems to be with us, as their team has left each door open. At the end of the hall it splits in two directions. Loud yelling comes from one room in particular. We make our way quietly up to the second door on the right, and I peer through the crack in the door while the others listen. They appear to be in some kind of kitchen, from what little I can see.

"I can't believe this, no spices, no herbs - I can only make decent dishes with these supplies! Decent! A master chef can only weep in times like these," Teru-Teru wails.

"I must wonder about the quality of the flesh, for it is unmarked from whence it came," Gundham remarks. I hear something similar to a spring going boing.

"Oh, whoopsie doopsie! I forgot to label the meat for you guys. Here you go!" the irritating squeal of Monokuma exclaims, followed by the sound of a sticker unpeeling.

"You... you wouldn't dare..."

"Oh, but I would! Here in Hope's Peak Juvenile Detention Centre, we only supply 100% pure, organic hamster meat! It's a great source of protein, you know, and such a delicacy in some parts," Monokuma gleefully replies.

"I demand we have better supplies! I can barely do anything with these ingredients!" Teru-Teru tells Monokuma. A cackling laugh is his only response.

"Reminder, this IS Hell, not some luxury island. Though, I guess that wasn't good enough for you either, was it? When life gives you lemons, Mama's boy!" Monokuma tells the chef before presumable making his disappearance. There is a moment's pause before Gundham starts up again.

"The demon responsible for this shall rue the day he crossed Gundham Tanahka!"

"There aren't even any lemons..."

"Hey Teru-Teru, look at this!" I hear Nagito exclaim, followed by a metallic cling, "Just like old times, eh?"

"Put that skewer back right now, or I swear I'll stick it where the sun don't shine!" responds Teru-Teru, rage obvious in his tone.

"Whoa, relax, I'll put it down, I'll put it down. I just thought you'd like a fun reminder from a while back," Nagito explains.

"It may have been a while back fo' you, but it was only a couple hours ago for me! It's yo' fault I did what I did anyway."

"Oh come on, haven't we been through this song and dance before? A person as inconsequential as me can't be held responsible for your plan, which was only one of many options available to you."

"Teru-Teru, while you were lead down the path of darkness, it was still you who carried out your foul deeds, and you must suffer the sins on your back. Nagito, as the leader of that path, you too must bear some blame. Now, silence fools. Your chatter irritates the great Gundham Tanahka."

So, Nagito is partially responsible for the murder carried out by Teru-Teru? How interesting, and frightening. Generally, the role of manipulator is mine. Luckily, I believe that I can remain the chess master for these pawns. I motion to my two pieces to signify we've listened long enough, and thus we make our way into the kitchen.

The room is bare, a dirty white with a hint of mould in one corner of the ceiling. Inside lie the minimum necessities to prepare food. A counter, fridge-freezer, kettle, microwave and stovetop are the only devices in the room, with a singular cutting board. The only items in abundance are knives, of which several racks adorn the walls. A meat skewer has been removed from one of the cutlery drawers and is lying on the counter.

"Ah, Celeste, it's so good to see you again. I see you brought your friends, sorry I haven't caught your names yet," Nagito addresses us.

"My name's Ruruka, and you'd better remember it, and this here is Kaito."

"Hey man, nice to meet you. I'm the Ultumate Astronaut," introduced Kaito, in an abnormal unenthusiastic tone.

"How did your search go?" I ask innocently. If Kaito and Ruruka can keep their mouths shut, then there's no reason not to get away with our eavesdropping.

"The hunt succumbed to below-average expectations. We discovered a laundry and garbage disposal room, beside which lay a small chapel dedicated to demon-worship, and an office filled elixirs both medicinal and poisonous."

"Hey, does that freezer have ice in it?" Kaito enquired out of the blue.

"Of course there's ice, what does that have to do with any- OH MY GOD WE FORGOT ABOUT CHIAKI AND THAT OTHER GUY!" yells Teary-Teru with realisation. As he gets ice from the freezer and wraps it in a dirty-looking tea towel, Gundham grabs a glass of water in a pink plastic cup. As they dash from the room, Teru-Teru reaches back and grabs Nagito, who gives a carefree smile and wave as he's dragged from the room.

"Well, at least we don't need to keep searching for the ice and water," I murmur. Kaito has proved most useful here. I needed those three out of the way for the next stage of the plan anyway, as their usefulness for now has passed. By removing them, albeit unintentionally, I no longer need to come up with a lie to remove them. Turning to the other two, I make a suggestion.

"Shall we continue searching down the corridor? Judging by what they said, they've only explored the first four rooms."

"Sounds like a great idea! We need to search anyway, so it only makes sense we keep going," Kaito agreed, seeming resolved to find something of interest.

"Sounds okay to me, I guess. I just gotta check one thing first..." Ruruka replies. She opens a cupboard under the counter, and after a few moments of searching, emerges victorious.

"YAAAAAS! No spices, but we still have the most important ingredient of all!" she exclaims, as she removes a large packet of granulated sugar. Grabbing a spoon from the drawer, she proceeds to dig in sloppily.

"I've gyot a gyuge shweet tooth," she explains between mouthfuls of sugar. Kaito puts his hand between her spoon and the sugar, and she gives him a dagger stare.

"Fair enough, but we don't know how much we're gonna be allowed Ruruka. I mean, I'd kinda like some too, and I'd say the same goes for most of us."

"Why not take a teacup of it with us to go?" I suggest, hoping to resolve this quickly and get things back on track. She pouts sourly, and then silently reluctantly agrees, grabbing a small ornate teacup from the press and filling it with sugar before putting the bag back in the press. Before we leave the room, she flashes a smile, the first hint of optimism off her since we got here.

"So long as we've got a little bit of sweet stuff, maybe Hell isn't too bad."

_**XXXXXX**_

**Review Feedback:**

**_Reptillor:_ While I can't claim to be head of the Ruruka fan club, I thought she'd fit well with this story, and I'm glad to be giving an underused character some limelight, and I'm happy my writing is resonating with someone.**

**_Jrbbeto:_ Thank you very much! I was trying really hard to portray Celeste as a flawed, but still human, character. As for your theory, no comment, but trust me when I say there's an explanation for everything, even the seeming absences and abnormal inclusions. We're a ways away from that though!**

**_Ajspaniel:_ Oh f*ck indeed. We're in post-game now.**

**Please comment & review, all feedback good and bad is appreciated.**


	5. (4-?)Ch1: Welcome to Hell!

After we left the kitchen, we made our way down the left hallway, which lead to an immediate turn right. Only a single door lay on this hallway, the female figure on which suggested it to lead to the girl's toilets. Peering inside, we could see that it made up not just a toilets, but shower room as well. The taps were covered in green mildew, and many of the wall tiles were cracked. After a short investigation by Ruruka and myself, we determined there to be nothing more of interest.

"If I were to hazard a guess," I pondered to the group, "I would say the boys bathroom lay down the other hallway."

"Isn't that great, the bathrooms are literally as far away from the dormitories as you can get. Real convenient for when you need to go. Thanks a lot Monokuma!" Ruruka says.

"You're welcome!" we hear the bear yell from some separate part of the building. I hate him so much.

"Hey, judging by the way the hall turns at the end, it looks like the whole place goes round in a loop," Kaito observes. When we walk down the corridor we are faced with a familiar sight: a staircase going downwards, and four doors on either side of the hallway, one of which has closed with a loud slam as we turned around. I motion for my partners in crime to join me in listening in against the door; they silently follow. With the exception of Ruruka, who takes a moment to stop chomping down on the sugar.

"I still can't believe you went through with that Sakura. I mean, you sound nuts just saying that shit," I hear Leon say in a shocked tone. An awkward silence follows for a few seconds, before she responds solemnly.

"I did what I had to do. If the Killing Game had to end with me, then so be it. At the very least, I hope Hina understands. I tried to make things clear in my final message, so the Class Trial could be brought to a quick end."

"Oh really? Gee, I guess you're right. That note would bring the class trial to an anticlimax," Monokuma interrupts.

"What the fuck do you mean by that?" Mondo asks venomously. His voice seems so filled with hate now.

"I'm just saying, that note would have been a real buzzkill, if Asahina had ever gotten it."

"You... you can't... that breaks the rules!" Sakura responds, righteous fury tempered in her voice.

"Hey, guess what Ogre? I MAKE the rules. Besides, surely you were curious about how nobody else killed someone after you. Just think about it..."

With that, I can hear the bear disappearing with his trademark bounciness, leaving presumably the stunned acquaintances of mine standing there in uncertainty. Is it possible that Sakura won the Killing Game, in offing herself? No winner at all, and everyone dead. Sounds like the Mastermind's dream come true, if one could believe it. I did not foresee Sakura as a traitor, nor as suicidal. Perhaps things changed after my death? I continued listening, to Mondo now providing some support.

"Listen Sakura, if they could figure out Togami's twisted shit, and the fucking next-level murder plan of the ice bitch herself, then they figured out what happened to you."

"Your words bring some comfort. I hope you are right," Sakura responds, a hint of doubt left in her mind. The next topic Mondo brings up makes me freeze like an icicle.

"Since I brought her up, I gotta ask: I know you explained all the bullshit Celeste and Hifumi pulled, but why'd they go through with it? What motive did they have?"

"Mondo, I am not certain I could explain it in a way you would understand without doing something you might regret. It may be better to let Celeste explain, as she was the planner, but that is all I shall say." A silence follows for a moment after Sakura finishes.

"Alright then, don't fucking tell me. See if I care," Mondo responds. I hear him coming towards the door, and I dash as fast as I can back around the corner, within earshot but out of view.

Now is an opportunity to test my tenuous alliance: if they lie for me now, as I suspect they will, then they'll be invested in my safety, making them easier to manipulate. If they do not, then I can deem them untrustworthy and adjust my plans as necessary to work solo. I can hear the door open. I hold my breath.

"What're you guys doing here? I thought you were checking the other side of the school," Mondo questions, the agression still laced in his tone.

"The building loops back around when you go down the corridor," Kaito explained, some nervousness present in his voice. He doesn't like lying, I think, but he'll do it on someone else's lead. I'll have to take notice of that.

"Great, we're running around in circles. Hey, wait a sec, where's Celeste? I thought she was with you guys?" Mondo asks, a new addition of suspicion in his voice.

"Oh, she ran off to the girls bathroom, had to take a dump or something. We found them along the way, the guy's are over there," Ruruka answers flawlessly. She's a natural, and is more than willing to lie. However, I'm not sure if she has the same ties of friendship that Kaito has, and as such her loyalty is questionable. Mondo lets out a grunt of acceptance, then makes his way down the other corridor, barely missing my presence.

"I need to take a piss," is the only motive he gives before he leaves entirely. I take this as my cue to return.

"Geez, Celeste, you took forever! Hurry it up next time, won't you?" Ruruka demands of me as I return. The door is still open, and Sakura and Leon are still standing inside. I can see now that the room appears to be some kind gymnasium, although it is substantially smaller than the one at Hope's Peak. Aside from a set of dumbells, a few yoga mats, a training dummy and a baseball bat (no balls, just the bat), the room seems very bare: white cement block walls and a cheap linoleum floor. There was one other noteworthy presence: the air conditioner, which appears to have been burned out with a small fire. I can only imagine what this room will stink of after a few days time.

"Oh, hey Celeste. Did you see where Mondo went? He just barged off a few seconds ago," Leon asks, a nervous tic to his voice. It will be unlikely for him to trust me after hearing the details of my crime, but so be it.

"I believe I saw him heading towards the men's lavatories," I reply, trying my best to come off polite. Can't let appearances slip.

"Aw man, I actually gotta go myself. Yo Mondo, wait up!" he yells, rushing out of the room like I was chasing him with an axe.

"I should probably follow them, to stay with my group," Sakura follows up, before making her own way towards the door.

"Wait, before you go, did you find anything we useful while searching?" Kaito questions, a bit of hope crossing his face. Sakura shook her head sadly.

"The rooms we encountered contained no further traces of the Mastermind or escape, as far as we could see. There was a small leisure room, along with two locked doors upstairs," Sakura told Kaito, to much disappointment, before she turned and addressed me. "Also, Celeste, may I chat with you privately later?"

"Of course."

With that, Sakura turns to follow shit-for-brains, leaving my two new accomplices alone with me. I can assume she wishes to discuss my meltdown in the class trial, potentially, or what she learned in her time after my death. In either case, I do not fear for my safety. I don't think Sakura is foolish, and she just requested our meeting in front of two others. Kaito turns to address me once the coast is clear.

"Hey Celeste... I thought you just wanted to listen in on Nagito and his pals. Why'd you pull us in to listening in on those three? I want a damn good explanation." For once, the whole truth may be the best argument I can make.

"Apologies, Kaito. Truthfully, after the reaction Mondo had earlier, combined with my personal experience with my peers, I feared my life was in danger. As you can see, my fear is well founded."

"Yeah, that's all fine and dandy, but like, you could have told us before hand. Don't worry, we got your back bestie; just don't go shoving us under the bus alright?" Ruruka answered.

"And no more spying, if we can avoid it. The whole thing makes me feel like shit," Kaito requests.

"That will not be a problem, with any luck," I lie to them. Both seem somewhat satisfied by my answer: Kaito nodding with a sigh of relief, and Ruruka giving me a firm nod. Looks like I'll be gathering information alone mostly from here on out.

After a quick look around the room gathered little new information, we continued on our little tour of the building. We made our way down the stairs, which mirrored the ones on the other side of the building, and found ourselves looking down a very similar corridor, with another left and right turn and a huge set of double doors. Presumably this side of the building also consists of just classrooms. Before I can make my way back through the double doors, Ruruka catches the group's attention.

"Say, Kaito, how about we look for your friends while we're here? See if they're still searching around."

"That sounds great! We really have some stuff that needs talking about, and I'm sure we can trust them to help us, unlike some of the others," he excitedly agrees. Kaito seems to be ignoring, or excusing, the murders committed by his comrades; perhaps they had a closer bond then our class did? In any case, my servant is leaving himself vulnerable by being so trusting.

Truthfully, I doubt that Kaede's group is still here. However, to come across as agreeable, I (seemingly) enthusiastically go along with the plan. The first two classrooms we search bear no fruit, and are as boring as the ones we woke up in, but as we make our way down the second hallway, we hear...

"Crying?" I question, as soft, deep sobs emit from one of the rooms. Making our way to the door, Kaito bursts in, panic evident on his face.

Inside lies Gonta, legs crossed, face in his arms, loudly and irritatingly crying. His face is very red, and he is choking back the tears. Beside him, Kaede is hugging him and giving reassuring words, while Kirumi is mopping up the puddle of tears with several handkerchiefs. Kaito turns to us, indecision evident on his face, before Kaede interjects on his behalf.

"Oh, Celeste, Ruruka! I'm really sorry, but could you give Kaito and us a minute please? Gonta's having a bit of trouble with all this, and we need to have a talk as classmates," she asks, with some regret evident on her face. Ruruka responds on our behalf before I can get a word out.

"Sure thing honey, I gotta go to the toilet anyway. Take as much time as you need. C'mon bestie!"

Ruruka the forcefully grabs my arm, and pulls me out of the class before I can go with her willingly. The act nearly knocks me over in my high heel boots. As we exit the room, I'm about to give her a piece of my mind when she turns to me, finger on her mouth, and gestures for me to lean in for a listen against the door. Very clever. Well, turnabout is fair play, so I join in on the act of espionage.

"Don't worry Gonta, we're all gonna be okay. We still have each other right?" I can hear Kaede softly reassure him.

"Gonta sorry... Gonta can't help it... Gentleman don't cry, but Gonta cannot stop..." he whimpers out.

"It's a good thing you arrived when you did Kaito. Kaede was asking us about the... unfortunate topic of our victims, and Gonta burst out crying when asked about it. Could you help us fill in the blanks please?" Kirumi asks, calm as ever. I have to admit, her voice brings to mind a soft, feather pillow bed, it is so relaxing. Now is not the time to be thinking of such things though.

"Are you sure I should explain right now? I think the big guy might need a moment."

"No... Gonta would prefer if Kaito explained. Kaito better at explaining than Gonta," he tremblingly admits, trying to compose himself. Kaito lets out a sigh, then recalls a tragic tale of virtual reality, an inventor named Miu, an ingenious manipulator by the name of Kokichi, some misplaced cables and an inexplicable murder. Aside from Gonta's occasional sniffle, no-one interrupts his tale. When he's finished, Kaede sounds flabbergasted.

"I knew Kokichi was no good, but to think he would do this! Plus, why on Earth is Gonta in... here... if he can't even remember the crime he committed?" Kaede questions, carefully avoiding the H-word. Truly, heaven must either have a very flawed system or a ludicrously high standard for half of the people stuck here to be here. It just doesn't seem to add up. Assuming that us being in Hell is true.

"Gonta... Gonta kill Miu, even if not know why. Gonta sorry! Gonta very sorry! Gonta so... so... sorry..." the large giant cries out, voice filled with regret. I hear Kirumi shush him him, whispering gentle reassurances to calm him.

"Don't worry Gonta, I'm certain that we can clear all this up. We forgive you, okay? As long as we're all in this together as friends, we'll be okay. I'm sure of it," Kaede tells him, with such sickeningly cliché fluff that I can scarcely stop myself from gagging. The crying seems to die down a bit after that, and I can hear a grunt of determination.

"Kaede right. Crying no fix Gonta's mistake, only friends can fix Gonta's mistake. Gonta with Gonta's friends can fix anything!" he exclaims, filled with unfounded optimism.

"That's the spirit Gonta! We've all done things we regret, but I'm sure we can still reach for the stars!" Kaito joins in. I hear the smack of a pair of high-fives between the gaggle of hope-fuelled dunderheads.

"Speaking of regrets... Kaito, I know this may be uncomfortable to ask, but just for the sake of clarity, who did you kill?" Kirumi asks, dampening the mood by creating an awkward silence.

"...Kokichi. It's a long story, I'll tell you about it later," Kaito responds. So, my accomplice-to-be's previous victim was a compulsive liar and manipulator? No wonder he seemed so uncomfortable with the spying earlier. While troubling news, this changes very little. He's still my prime target for servant material - he's equal parts dumb and loyal to his friends - but with this new information in hand, I must try not to corner myself with blatant lies in his presence. Otherwise, I may end up in a similar fate to this Kokichi-fellow. Kaede is the only one who responds to this.

"Don't worry Kaito. We... we understand."

It seems Little-Miss-Sunshine doesn't object to killing for the common good. Huh. That could potentially be a downfall, should I make too many enemies this time around and be killed for 'the sake of preserving peace'. Even more than before, I must try to nullify my nemeses in the group.

I receive a tap on the shoulder from Ruruka, followed by a sly wink. By the observant smile on her face I can tell that she's been listening just as carefully as I have. We've been here, I realise, for almost ten minutes. I nod in agreement: it's time for us to make our return. I gesture her down the hall, away from the door with me, and then begin chattering loudly as I re-approach. Ruruka follows my lead and begins to talk back, giving the illusion of us coming up to the door from afar.

"So Ruruka, would you happen by chance to have any pastimes? They perhaps could fill us in on your Talent."

"Not that I can recall... I had this friend once, well, acquaintance really, who was the Ultimate Pharmacist but I didn't really know her well so-" she cuts herself off as she knocked on the classroom door, "are you guys finished yet?"

"We're all good now, yeah," Kaito yells back. Opening the door, we see the group just as they were before, except Gonta now bears one of Kirumi's large handkerchiefs, and whole group has stood up.

"Thank you so much for understanding, Ruruka and Ms. Ludenberg. We truly appreciate it," Kirumi says to us in her smooth voice, like melted dark chocolate. Where did that simile come from? The pretty maid is having a strange effect on me, I should probably investigate that later.

"We have, like, taken forever at this stage, I'd say everyone else is back at the dorm rooms by now," we hear from Ruruka, clear connotations in her voice. Kaede makes her way past us towards the door.

"You're right Ruruka, we'd best make join back up with the rest of the group. C'mon guys, let's go!" she enthusiastically encourages.

As a unit, we make our way through the double doors, the mirror image of my first entrance into this rotten nightmare. Mikan is standing guard outside of one the upstairs rooms, presumably the pig's. I can see Chiaki has awoken, surrounded by her allies, them tending to her every whim, her seeming ready to go back to sleep. Mondo is sitting on the steps, looking bored and full of antipathy, while Leon is making awkward small talk with Nagito, Sakura observing. I catch her eye on entrance; that discussion needs to be sooner than later. I look up at the clock on the wall: 21:50. Looks like it's time for each each of us to get in our cells. Before Kaede can make another one of her speeches, Pekoyama starts telling us, in a military fashion, which cell has each of our nameplates on it: mine is the furthest cell from the stairs, upstairs, on the opposite side of Monokuma's podium. As I make my way towards it, I pass by the neighbours on my storey: Kaede, Teru-Teru, and directly beside my cell, Kaito. How convenient. I wish him goodnight as I open the door to my room, and he gives a thumbs up in response. I feel some sympathy for him, as I doubt he deserves to be stuck here because of me. However, I cant let that hold me back: I'm getting out of this literal Hell-hole no matter what.

My cell has no lighting or hygiene issues, thankfully, but it is still not up to standard. The door bears a shatterproof-glass window, and beside the door is a bare window with parallel bars over it. A small curtain accompanies this window, but it still ensures that at no hour of the day or night will I have true privacy. Meanwhile, the cell itself contains a tiny cot bed placed directly under said window, and cold tiling covers the floor. As I investigate, I find that the cot bed has a drawer underneath containing a coarse towel and a pair of pyjamas. This would be convenient for hiding materials. Finally, in one corner lies something truly unspeakable. I may be a fan of the Medieval era, but I have my limits, and the chamberpot crosses those limits.

In the morning I'll get Kaito to reposition my bed away from under the window; better safe than sorry. Monokuma undoubtedly has some motive planned, so I should be up early tomorrow to hear that. Before anything else, however, I should take an opportunity to discuss with Sakura; that too will take priority tomorrow.

I lie back in my bed, as I hear a click from my door and a voice filling the air, no discernible source like a monitor.

"Delinquents, this is an announcement from the head officer. It is now 10 p.m. As such, it is officially nighttime. The doors to the cells have been locked, and I suggest getting some shut eye. Sleep well everyone, and hopefully I'll see you in the morning... or not..."

The lights in my room switch off at this notification, barring a small green set of emergency lights, which are dim enough to sleep through. However, they are also bright enough for a potential killer to see their way. After changing into the cheap polyester nightwear (why must the bear torture me so?), I take off my clip-ons and lie back in the bed, the small curtain on the bare window drawn. As I lie here, now seems a good time to reflect on my classmates, and focus on strategy.

My main opponents are my own classmates: they know what I am capable of, they each seem bloodthirsty in their own right barring Sakura, and each of them are capable of overpowering me in direct confrontation. Obviously, each of them would be too dangerous to kill without risking injury to myself, so I should probably focus on trying to frame one of them when my Murder is committed.

Chiaki's class seem to know each other well, but are also keenly aware of each other's flaws. This makes them difficult victims and difficult to frame. In addition, she seems to personally have great influence over them. If I can get her to trust me, it will be easier to get them on my side. On the opposite end, Nagito seems a social pariah on their part - the more I can seem to oppose him, the better. Yes, the best approach I think would be to get them as a voting block on my side.

Kaito and Kaede's class are a similar looking beast, but different in character. While Chiaki's class seems to trust each other a healthy amount, Kaede's seems to trust unconditionally. It would be useless to try and accuse one of them, as Kaede herself would likely discover the truth through sheer stubborness and belief. Instead, it would be optimal to kill someone from their party. While I could go for Kaito, I'll need his help in securing a solid alibi. Gonta, while dumb, could easily pull a Leon and turn the tables on me, and Kirumi... I just... I don't feel like I should kill her, directly. I need to figure out what my weird mental block is when it comes to her. Which leaves Kaede, who once eliminated removes potentially one of the hardest-workers and greatest annoyances. Yes, for the moment at least, I'll set her as my target for murder.

Finally, we have Ruruka, who appears to be a double-edged sword. On one hand, she's intelligent, persuasive, and manipulative, all traits I admire. On the other hand, that intelligence won't let me manipulate her easily. When I plan my murder, I must do it on a night she's distracted with something unrelated to me for best results.

Lastly, I think it would be best to play the long-game. A murder too soon would be a rushed plan, with unforeseen variables all over the place. I need to get to know my surroundings, my new classmates, and to come up with an actual means of murder. I'll give myself a limit of three days, and then I'll put my plan into motion. Should anyone kill before that... well, it will just have to be dealt with in the usual manner. My own safety will be paramount in the meantime. I'll let Kaito know where I'm headed whenever I go to speak with someone in private, and failing that, let Ruruka know. That way, if someone always knows where I am and who I'm going to. I can inform a potential attacker of this information and save myself from a grizzly end if need be.

I really don't like murder. It's messy, unpleasant, and leaves nothing but anger and frustration in its wake. Yet, sometimes for those who dream of life at the top, the end of life is a sad necessity that must be performed, like clipping ones nails or taking out rubbish. Frustrating, disgusting, but needed in order to get anywhere. I really hoped after killing Hifumi that it would be the last life I'd need to take. However, sometimes the dice don't roll in your favour: you just need to deal with things the best you can, and play hard until you win. With this reflection in my head, I ponder off to sleep.

_**XXXXXX**_

**Review Feedback:**

**_Jrbbeto:_ Please, keep your theories coming, I love reading them: I just won't be giving commentary on them either way, for the sake of spoiler avoidance. Also, yeah, Nagito is indeed terrible like usual, but that's what makes him good for the plot. **

**_Reptillor:_ Shhh... don't worry, I actually decided on victim/blackened/survivor(?) order by picking out of a hat, so my personal character preference isn't what will determine who dies where. That doesn't mean you should discount it as a possibility though... or should you? In any case, thanks for your continued support!**

**Please comment & review, all feedback good and bad is appreciated.**


	6. (5-?)Ch1: Welcome to Hell!

*ding dong ding dong

"It is now 7AM. Time to get out of bed, delinquents! The doors to your cells have been unlocked."

Opening my eyes, I can see once again that, to my disappointment, this whole ordeal has not been a dream. I hear the click of the door unlocking, and find myself rushing into action. It was only late last night when I realised something truly horrifying - with no shower in my room, everyone would have to see me in these hideous pyjamas when I went to clean myself this morning. Naturally, this is unacceptable. Hence, I leap out of the bed, grabbing the rough towel I found last night, take the emergency make-up kit hidden in my dress and run for the showers like the Ultimate Athlete. Luckily, I am only seen by a few people: Kaede, who is already up and ready to face the day; Mikan, who is making her way toward Hifumi's cell; and Nagito, who is casually watching over the whole dormitory with a smug expression. I make my way out of the dormitories before they can even acknowledge my presence.

Going up the stairs, past the gym and into the girls restrooms, I quickly strip from the hideous rags and search for cleaning products. It is not too much of a hassle: there is a small cabinet filled with soap, shampoo, conditioner, and extra towels. I quickly wash the essentials, wrap my hair up in a towel, and tie a towel around myself, before making my way to one of the cracked mirrors.

It takes a lot of effort to perfectly apply make-up. Some people say that it is a lie, covering up your true nature and flaws to make you seem perfect. Others say it is perfectly natural to want to accentuate the best parts of your natural beauty. Personally, I try to achieve both with my make-up, a thin line which I have learned to straddle. Still, it is undeniably the least favourite part of my day to see my only slightly-above average plain face without enhancement. I just finish applying some mascara when I hear the door open behind me.

"I'm glad to catch you alone," a voice says calmly, but firmly.

"How convenient, I was just about to look for you myself Sakura," I reply, looking at the noble warrior in the mirror's reflection.

"The others have decided to take the showers in turn; we'll sort out the details on the order later. Teru-Teru has begun cooking up our breakfast, and we shall all discuss plans of action in the dorms after he brings them downstairs. In the meantime, I would like to discuss some matters concerning us."

"Well, if you have something to say, I am all ears."

"Very well. I'll get to the point: Mondo is already aware that you had a part to play in the death of Taka, and as his friend I felt obligated to tell him what happened. However, out of respect for your privacy, and to temporarily disarm the violence, I left it to you to tell him why you took Taka and Hifumi's life."

"How kind of you. And when I tell him about my luxurious European Castle, how long do you think I will live? Two seconds? Three, if we're being kind?" I ask. Sakura responds with a scoff.

"You have a way with words. I am certain your explanation could be more sympathetic then I would care to portray it."

"I see. Do not worry, my long-lost family that I must reunite with shall surely stir his heartstrings,"

"No. You will tell him the truth. If we are truly going to be stuck here forever, he deserves to know what happened to someone so... close with."

"And if I decide not to put my life in peril?"

"Then I shall tell everyone your other truth, Taeko Yasuhiro," Sakura informs me. I stop applying my makeup, and turn to face her directly. I can feel a scowl tearing across my face.

"You wouldn't dare... why? How does that benefit you in any way?" I ask. Sakura gives a small, forced chuckle in response.

"I am without honor at this stage. My family's dojo, my friendships, and my life have each been destroyed by my own lies and cowardice. I cannot be forgiven for what I've done, but at the very least I can try to do what's right. He deserves to know, and if you lie to him, then I shall remove your main motive for murder: the identity you've tied yourself to. In either case, I hope this achieves some good," Sakura explains, melancholy in her eyes and with the barest hint of a smile. All I can do is stare, open mouthed, at this Naegi-level speech of philosophical stupidity.

"And what if your little 'plan' drives Mondo closer to the brink? You have seen how violent he can become at the mere mention of his dead boyfriend." I counter. Sakura shuts her eyes and shakes her head.

"There is another side to this you're not seeing, Celeste," Sakura says to me. "Mondo is determined to discover the truth. If you go to him, you can bring a friend to help you. I shall even go with you, if you so wish. But if you put it off, then he could confront you at any time. And then, you will truly be in danger. I do not wish that upon anyone... not even you."

With that, Sakura goes for her own shower, and I grab my makeup and leave. The martial artist is out of line. Honestly, the ideas some people get about honor, it's no wonder she killed herself. The point of Mondo catching me off guard has caught my attention however. Even with my plan of sharing my location, he may not act rationally. I will just have to kill someone before he gets the chance. Outside the door stands a line of ladies, Ruruka next up. She gives an eye-roll as I walk past, with a comment on how long I spend in the bathroom. I just ignore her and keep walking, determined to finish my morning routine as soon as I can at this stage. At least then I can deal with this bullshit in top form.

_**XXXXXX**_

Gonta has really done a relatively good job: by removing the tables and chairs from the classrooms, under Kirumi's guidance, a small dining set up has successfully been created on the main floor of the dormitory. By the time I have attached my drill hair accessories and perfectly positioned my dress, about half of the students are seated: Sakura on her own, Chiaki and Peko awkwardly placed across from Nagito, and a table featuring Kaito, Gonta, and Ruruka. I sit with Kaito's group, engaging the light conversation to be had there.

"Hey Celeste, we were just wondering, what do you think this Ultimate Chef guy's gonna make for breakfast? I bet it'll be out of this world!" Kaito says optimistically.

"While I like the sound of that, we gotta face facts: a chef's only as good as his ingredients, and trust me, the stuff in that kitchen was not top quality," Ruruka says.

"Gonta will be happy with any food Gonta gets," Gonta tells us. All three sides have good points, and so as a result I have decided to keep my expectations low.

Leon arrives without much fanfare, and goes to sit at Sakura's table, scowl on his face. I can overhear faintly over the breakfast conversation his murmuring about Kaede helping Teru-Teru in the kitchen. I wonder what happened there?

Mikan helps that pig Hifumi over to Sakura's table, and quickly abandons him to sit with Chiaki. Gundham arrives with a loud announcement of his presence, followed by him joining Chiaki's group. Finally, Mondo takes a table in the far corner, away from everyone else. I can feel his disgusting stare from here, but thankfully the others seem just as ready to ignore the nuclear bomb as I am. With everyone seated, it's not long before breakfast arrives.

"Order's up!" shouts out Kaede as she carries a collection of plates into the room, assisted by Kirumi and Teru-Teru. Each of us receives a plate of French toast, accompanied by a small salad.

"Bon appetite," I say to my acquaintances as we each take our first bite. The toast is... remarkably okay. Nothing bad, at all... but nothing particularly great. Kaito is irritated by this development.

"Hey, I thought you were supposed to be the Ultimate Chef! I've had better French toast at McDonalds."

"Well excuse me, I'm just try'na make something edible over here out of the garbage ingredients we've got. There's no spices! How am I supposed to make good French toast without cinnamon I ask you?!" the chef responds in an outrageously fake accent.

"Everyone, we can discuss this another time. Right now, I think we should focus our efforts on trying to figure out all we can based on our investigation yesterday," Kaede interrupts. After a brief discussion of the different rooms we found on our searches, it appeared nothing else of great note was found.

"Well that went fucking nowhere," said Mondo in an irritated tone. "Anyone else got any bright ideas?"

"Maybe it might be a good idea to try figure out the order our Killing Games went in. I mean, if the same mastermind was behind each, we should be able to figure something out," offered Chiaki. A murmured consensus was given by the others.

"That is a large 'if' however," I add on, "for all we know, there could be a new mastermind behind each Killing Game."

"Still, it's better than nothing. I dunno how much I can say without violating my Forbidden-Action thingy, but I'm pretty sure our Killing Game was the last one," Kaito told us. His other classmates look at him questioningly, but seem to understand that they cannot ask further.

"Well, if that's the case, that gives us an end-point at least. I cannot give my own evidence without breaking my Forbidden Action, but perhaps Gundham could help?" Chiaki tells us. We all stare at the trench coat aficionado, ready to decipher his nonsense.

"Hmm... my immense intellectual powers remind me of a demonic contract of information, bearing dark gospel of the first Killing Game, which the bear delivered unto us following the fall of the wicked healer Mikan. Though I did not pay much attention to its contents, I believe the game in which Sakura partook preceded ours in this blackened history," Gundham informed us.

"Seriously? That's all you can remember? There's gotta be more info than that," said Leon, irritance clearly marked across his face.

"I fear not, my companions. I did not pay much attention to the deed, as the mysteries of the mortal realm are for those with a lifespan to solve." All the while, as Gundham spoke, Nagito was sitting there with his smug irritating smile, like a puppet master with their playthings. He's mocking us in his head.

"Would I be correct in assuming you read this document from front to back, Nagito?" I asked politely.

"You know, that actually sounds kinda familiar... I think I've seen something like that. Yep, I can confirm everything Gundham said." Nagito has the group's full attention. We can still feel the tension he brings to each conversation, as if he's a powder keg ready to explode.

"And nothing more?" Peko asks, murderous intent unhidden in her tone.

"Well, there might be a bit more... but I won't be sharing it."

Sighs of exasperation and yells of angered disbelief fill the air, along with a hint of confusion thrown in by Gonta. I swear, this bastard is more annoying than Monokuma.

"Regardless of Nagito not wanting to help us, we still have some valuable testimony," Chiaki continues. "If Sakura's Killing Game is the first, and Kaito's is the last, that means the one I was in must be in the middle somewhere, and the same goes for Ruruka."

"And how the fuck does that help us right now?" Mondo demanded, arms crossed and feet up on a chair. "We're dead, there's no way to investigate who's running the show, and even if we did fucking know, we can't do anything to the bastard."

The trigger-happy biker has a point, and that point really kills the mood, even more dead than it was already. Everyone temporarily falls into silence, except for Hifumi, who continues eating his meal. However, after a moment of blissful, albeit depressing, peace, Kaede spurs us back to action.

"Well, while we can't do anything about the past, we can make sure our current lives-I mean afterlives are better, right? There's a couple of rotas that need to be set up, for things like washing up, using the bathrooms in the morning, and doing the dishes," she says. After a brief discussion of a chore list, I put myself down to do the laundry with Kirumi-a position I would normally never degrade myself to, but in this case seems to achieve the goal of endearing myself to Kaede and Kaito. In addition, it allows me to get closer to Kirumi, and given her talent as a seamstress hopefully she can turn my pyjamas into something more presentable. After this the morning schedule is timetabled, with a rota of those who wish to shower alone and those who don't mind the company of others.

"Before y'all finish up, I've got an announcement to make about food. More specifically, the sugar," Teru-Teru informs us once Kaede is finished.

"What's up with the sugar?" Ruruka asks suddenly, as if someone just issued a threat. Understandable, given how much she ate of it.

"That damn bear Monokuma said that the one bag's all we gonna get for our whole time here, so now we gotta ration the stuff for meals," the chef responds despondently. Unfortunately, speak of the devil...

"Well excuse me, Prince chef, but it's not as if you need granulated sugar to survive. Technically, you don't need any food to survive, you are dead after all, so you should be grateful I'm letting you feel fed at all!" Monokuma explains as he pops up at his podium, ready to ruin yet another of the precious days of my life. Well, afterlife, I suppose. A loud laugh escapes from Gundham, catching everyone's attention.

"Ignorant fool! Even the lowest scum of the Earth would not deal with matters of life and death over dealings so shallow as sweetness. Your attempts at pandemonium are futile!" he enthusiastically yells in his usual gibberish.

"Yeah, what he said, but less weird!" Kaito joins in.

All around, people look at each other in agreement, nodding their heads. For the first time, it seems no-one is spurred to action. Perfect potential for when I kill: none will suspect me, since I don't care for this motive in the slightest, nor have I given any indication I would. The bear seems unimpressed. He pulls out a small remote with a red button, and begins to pretend crying.

"Oh no, how truly terrible! None of you like my motive. Well, I guess I'll just have to give you a new one then, since that one's so shitty," he exclaims, as he wipes away a tear and presses the button. A hollow glass tube emerges from the centre of the dormitory floor, tipping over one of the empty tables as it did so.

Inside the tube are a collection of what appeared to be old-fashioned, blocky mobile phones, each with one of our names on them, and one or two red or green buttons on them instead of a keypad. In addition, a piece of duct tape is placed on each strategically, as if to cover up something. The antennae on the phones are shaped like a love heart.

"What the fuck are those?" asks Leon aggressively, jumping out of his seat in shock after seeing the tube rising. Monokuma lets out his signature cat-screeching laugh.

"These are your soulmate phones. Designed to make sure nothing can stop the power of love... bleugh, sorry, had to puke there for a second, these allow those with a special bond to communicate across time and space to anywhere else in the afterlife. Under normal circumstances, even the wretched souls of Hell get to keep theirs, but since I have special charge of your case, I've confiscated them off all of you."

The whole hall goes silent in response to this message. Soulmate? Truly, I had never considered the concept before. To find the man out there who would fill my A-Tier, he would have to be flawless, ruthless, insanely loyal, and obey every word I say. I long ago gave up on the idea of meeting them in my lifetime, but technically, I now have all the time in the world to find my other half. The rest of the rabble seem incensed by this idea.

"Tha-that's bullshit! There's no way something like that'd work," Leon says determinedly.

"Surely if e-e-everyone has one, than it must be a right to have one? Wouldn't that make it i-i-i-illegal to take ours from us? YOU'RE INFRINGING ON OUR RIGHTS!" Hifumi yells, seeming far too enthusiastic to hear from his digital girl-boyfriend and still stuttering from yesterday's injuries.

"Oh, these work absolutely perfectly! Here, give it a listen!" Monokuma tells us, as he reaches through glass as if it were water, and presses a button. A few rings later, we hear a voice.

"Gundham, listen quick, y-" a delicate female voice frantically exclaims, before Monokuma lets go of the button and the call ends. The Ultimate Edgelord's face turns bright pink, and he tucks his head into his scarf, while the rest of his classmates turn pale as if they'd heard a ghost... barring Nagito and Chiaki.

"Sonia..." I hear him mumble under his scarf. Hypothetically, there is someone for everyone: still, it is hard to believe anyone would be interested in a loser like him.

"See, works like a charm! Now, as for the question from Mr. Power-Of-God-And-Anime, you're actually right for once in your pathetic life-I mean death. Normally, I wouldn't be allowed separate these from you. But when you've got curves like these," the bear explains as he attempts to rub his hips seductively, "you can get away with breaking a rule or two. However, if you want to rectify this injustice, I'll surely give them back to you on one condition."

"What's that?" asks Leon, to which I can only facepalm internally.

"You have to throw the greatest birthday jamboree of all time!" Monokuma announces.

"Wait, really?" Gonta asks with an optimistic smile. I'm surrounded by idiots.

"No, you moron, you have to kill someone. Jeez, you'd think after going through this the first time you'd have learned something."

"I have a question," Nagito interrupts, catching everyone's attention once more. "Will the killer get their soulmate phone back even if they get caught?"

"Hmm, interesting question... failing and losing the prize might cause more despair... it would unquestionably weaken the motive so... sure! Killer gets their phone back, even if they fail," Monokuma tells us after a minute of deliberating with himself. It's slightly odd though: the way he was speaking, it sounded more like two people arguing at the other end of the speaker. "Anyone else got any questions?"

"Yes, I do. What are the red buttons on some of our phones, and why do some people have multiple green buttons?" Kirumi asks, attentive as usual.

"Oh, those? Well, some people are particularly lucky, as to have more than one person in such a close bond, or as such a perfect match. In those cases, they can call up either one of their soulmates. Meanwhile, for those who's partners have multiple soulmates, they can press the red button to hear from their romantic rivals. Let's give it a go, will we?" the bear asks as he sticks his hand through the glass once more, grabbing the phone of Chiaki Nanami and pressing down the red button. It rings for a moment, followed by a vibration from the other side of the tube. Most of us get up out of our seats to the other side of the tube, and when I get there, I can see which phone is ringing. Nagito Komaeda's...

"Oh dear, it looks like they can't take your call right now. Maybe we should leave a message after the beep?" Monokuma taunts with his wide, sharp toothed grin. "How about, 'Komaeda, get your hands off the love of my life Hinata-kun, you filthy creep'?"

"Shut up," Chiaki responds, a silent rage bubbling behind her calm demeanour. Despite being perfectly still, I can see a fire in her eyes far removed from the usual kindness that I've seen since arriving here.

"Monokuma, as right you are in insulting my pathetic existence, can you leave Chiaki out of it? It's not polite to butt in on other people's business," Nagito requests, in a tone which even I find impossible to determine as genuine or sarcastic.

"It'S nOt poLitE To bUtt In oN otHEr pEopLe's BuSInesS," Monokuma repeats in a higher pitched shrill, "who died and made you king? Anyway, in this Killing Game, everyone here's business is my business. Like the astronaut's little assassin girlfriend. Surely she wouldn't mind another few deaths to reunite with her love?"

"Shut up! She doesn't do that anymore, and she sure as shit wouldn't want me to do it!" Kaito yells back with a righteous fury. Monokuma jumps across the air onto Kaito's table.

"C'mon, space-for-brains, you knew her for like a week. Plus, for someone who doesn't do that anymore, she sure didn't try very hard when she practically handed you a death sentence. Don't you want to let her know you forgive her?" With that, he hopped over to Chiaki's group's table.

"And what about the world's sexiest tool, Peko Pekoyama? What was it your yoooooung maaaaaaster said? 'I never wanted a tool! I just wanted you! Only you!' Isn't that enough to tug your heartstrings?"

"How dare you speak his words!" Peko screams as she lunges at the bear with her bamboo sword, missing as he pirouettes onto Mondo's desk.

"You're lucky I'm feeling so merciful as to not let you break a school guideline, you stupid power drill!" Monokuma yells back to her, before turning to the biker himself. "And what about your deep, caring bromance? Actually, do I need the b there? Who cares."

Mondo is unresponsive. He refuses to even look up at the monochromatic tormentor.

"You know, Take was so broken after you left, he even started claiming to be possessed by you to fill the void you made. He was such an easy target... I'm sure if he actually heard your voice again he'd be over the moon."

"Don't call him Taka, you bastard. You don't deserve to call him by that name," Mondo responds in a low growl, still not looking up. Monokuma leans in real close, right next in front of his face, slightly to the side to avoid his stupid hair.

"Do you deserve to call him that either, after everything you did?"

"That's enough Monokuma!" the aggravating chipmunk cheerleader Kaede yells from across the room. God damn it, three more seconds and Mondo might've snapped, ridding me of him for good.

"Why would we risk our lives to just talk to the people we care about, when we're gonna see them, after we escape out of here after beating you?" Kaede demanded, staring Monokuma down, a bead of sweat dripping down her forehead. The bear sighed.

"Kaede, Kaede, Kaede... you can't control your own feelings, nevermind anyone else's. Remember how well your attempt to take down the Mastermind alone went? While watching you try so hard just to fail is funny, right now it's just sounding pathetic." It looked almost like Kaede was about to fight back, but then she swallowed her words and held back, perhaps hoping to preserve what was left of her ego.

"In any case, I guess it's time for us all to see whether the power of love can truly conquer all," Monokuma told us all from back atop his pedestal. "People always say they'd die for each other-and in some parts of the Killing Game, they have! But would they kill for each other? I guess it's time to find out!"

_**XXXXXX**_

"Just a little bit more to the left will do," I say to Kaito as he drags my bed across the linoleum. Huffs and puffs fill the room as he struggles to move the steel frame.

"Why... didn't you ask Gonta... to help us?" Kaito asked between gasps of air.

"Because, I trust you to get my bed right where I want it. Plus, I enjoy your company moreso," I respond. The third, unmentioned, reason being of course that I want to build up our friendship for my later alibi.

After the motive was given, almost everyone had split up without much discussion. Sakura, Leon and Gundham went to the gym, Mondo went back to his room, and most of the others went to the leisure room. I grabbed Kaito before he left specifically for this purpose.

"Can you at least... give me a hand?" Kaito requests. The bed is abnormally heavy, but I simply cannot take the request.

"And potentially ruin my one-of-a-kind dress? You must be joking," I say to him with a slight edge in my voice. He responds with a light laugh. After pushing the bed into place, he stands up and faces me with the hint of a smile.

"Y'know, you remind me a bit of a friend of mine, sometimes."

"The assassin Monokuma mentioned earlier?"

"Yeah. Her name's Maki, though I sometimes called her Maki-roll as a joke. Sure, she was an assassin, but she needed the money to help keep her orphanage running. We had some good times," he explained, a slight glaze over his eyes as he spoke with a smile, "well, as good as times get in a Killing Game anyway. I'm actually the last person to... kill someone from my Killing Game, so I can't help but wonder if she survived, somehow. Found peace. I dunno how, but, I hope she did."

"And, what about myself reminds you of her?" I ask Kaito. He chuckles slightly.

"I dunno. You can be a bit scary sometimes - in a good way, that is! You seem like you have a big heart underneath it all that you're scared to share with people. I feel like a lot of people misunderstand you."

The reassurance in Kaito's voice gives me an idea. It's risky, definitely - but I live and died to gamble.

"You know Kaito, maybe I'm more similar than you think to this friend of yours," I start up, turned away from him, turning on the waterworks and starting to wobble my bottom lip. "After all... we've both killed people for money."

The sentiment is real, the guilt filled tone is not. I turn around rapidly and throw my arms around him, letting out fake sobs as I do so.

"Oh Kaito, how can I keep on going after what I've done? I just... I..."

"Shh, shh, don't worry, it's okay... we all make mistakes, alright? What's important is that we learn from them. I'm sure you had your reasons, and I won't ask why. Just... there, there."

Kaito comforts me with the care one would give to a kitten taken in out of the rain, and after a good while I let the sobs ease up. Thank goodness my makeup is waterproof, I cannot imagine how awkward it would have been to reapply.

"Don't worry Celeste. We've all got a second chance now, right? Sure, it's dressed up like a Killing Game, but it's still a chance to make things better."

"Thank you Kaito. You have no idea how much it means to me to have someone I can trust," I tell him, honestly. This is such a valuable asset that I couldn't be happier with how this turned out. Kaito gets a gleam in his eyes.

"Actually, I have an idea. There was this thing that me and my friends used to do to keep spirits up during the Killing Game. We used to do an exercise routine at night, with push-ups and press-ups and all that sorta stuff. Maybe we could start it up again in here, and that way you can get other people to trust you?" Kaito suggests excitedly.

"That... sounds like a great idea!" I lie enthusiastically. I loathe exercise. Dancing, perhaps I can tolerate for its elegance, but plain old brute force for the sake of it? Disgusting. Still, friendship is a two way street, and it would not do to leave one side undeveloped.

"Awesome! I'll see who else I can get to join us. It's probably too late to set something up for tonight, so let's make it tomorrow, 9PM, just before bed. Come see me if you wanna go through what we'll be doing," Kaito informs me. With that, he makes his way towards the exit. "I'll see you around Celeste!"

"Farewell, Kaito." Perhaps I was too hasty in my judgement, and he is B-tier material after all. It makes no difference, since I must leave him here to rot anyway, but the genuine care he has shown me, even if I was lying, is admirable. Plus, I can't say I altogether dislike being in his presence. It is a real pity.

Now, there is still time for me to ingratiate myself to a few of the others today. Who will I go to first?

**FREE TIME START!**

_**XXXXXX**_

**Review Feedback:**

**_Jrbbeto_: Whether Ruruka does it doesn't remember the survivors, I wouldn't say she'd be able to say anything due to her Forbidden Action. Always love reading your thoughts!**

**_Reptillor_: Tis the tragedy of all Danganronpa games that we lose the characters we love. And then we want to cry.**

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**Please comment & review, all feedback good and bad is appreciated.**


	7. (6-?)Ch1: Welcome to Hell!

Quite luckily, when I reached the second floor I ran directly into the person who I'd been looking for: Kirumi Tojo was walking down the hall when I caught her attention.

"Ah, Celeste, perfect timing. I was just headed for the Laundry room to perform our chore duties. I'll happily do them on your behalf if you don't want to, but since you're listed with me, it may be a good idea to stick together while I do them to avoid someone kicking up a fuss."

**Spend time with Kirumi? _Yes_ No**

"Of course, that makes perfect sense. Shall we get started?" I respond.

We head back to the Dorms, and collect a few small pieces of underwear, my ruined handkerchief and assorted garments that already need washing, including Hifumi's bloodstained shirt from Mondo's punch. After this, we encounter the Laundry-Garbage Disposal Room: several washing machines and one dryer, all full of limescale and with yellowed plastic covers. A single tattered ironing board lies in one corner of the room, with a slightly rusted iron; a sewing machine takes residence beside it; and an incinerator lines the opposing wall.

I watch Kirumi sort the clothes and put them in the device with incredible speed and efficiency. She's gone somewhat up in my ranking today.

**Would you like to give Kirumi a compliment? _Yes_ No**

"You are incredibly proficient at cleaning. I can see you dedicate a lot of time to your talent."

"Why thank you, Celeste. It means a lot to hear such lovely words. Is there anything I can do to assist you?"

"Actually, Kirumi, there if you could help me with one thing I would be extremely grateful. The pyjamas we've been presented with are simply atrocious, and given you are one of the few people in this place with a refined sense of taste, I was wondering if you wanted to work with me in making our sets more flattering?"

"Nothing would make me happier," the maid responds. I grab our pyjamas from the pile, and she begins to make adjustments to have them fit my measurements more pleasantly.

"The lack of quality material means we cannot add much in the way of design, but I can use thread work to add a nice design. Would that suffice?" I ask Kirumi.

"I think that sounds marvellous. What type of print would you like?

"Hmm... it appears there are several shades of red and green thread; how about roses?"

"I can do that for you perfectly," Kirumi replies, cutting up the pyjamas as she does so to fit my pattern.

"And what would print would you like Kirumi?"

"Oh, don't worry about me, I'll do my own," she tells me with a small reassuring smile.

"Whatever do you mean? Do you not trust me?" I ask her with false concern. A bit of guilt may help in solidifying our bond.

"Oh no, Celeste, that wasn't what I meant at all. It is merely part of my function as a maid. I should be helping your requests, not having you help me," Kirumi explains calmly, with another small smile. I pick up her pyjamas in response.

"While I appreciate your duty as a maid, my request was that we work together in remaking the evening wear, no? I enjoy doing fashion work, and as such you don't need to do it all for me as a chore. So again, what print would you like?"

"If you must insist... I would love a design of sakura flowers. Something to remind me of home."

"That is perfectly possible. Pass me a needle please?"

We spend awhile adding the print to the material. I thought myself skilled in sewing, but it Kirumi surpasses me by far. For every one cherry blossom flower I add to her pyjamas, she adds three roses to mine. Once we begin with the sewing machine to put the pattern back together again, Kirumi insists on taking over, and has both outfits seamlessly completed in a matter of minutes, even with the dilapidated device.

"You truly are an artisan, Kirumi. I've never considered hiring a maid before - I generally preferred the Butler aesthetic - but after seeing you at work I must reconsider," I tell her honestly.

"Don't thank me yet, we still have to try them on and see how they look," Kirumi reminds me with a chuckle. It's quite different from her usual serious tone, and very pleasing to hear. We turn our backs to each other and begin putting on the new outfits.

"Still, it would be an honour to work under such a stylish client," she says to me as we get dressed.

"If we were outside this place, where I still had my winnings, I would hire you immediately. Such a shame... I've got mine on, how about you?"

"All ready," she informs me. We turn around to face each other: the loose and baggy pyjamas are now tight and form fitting, with light cherry blossom flowers cresting the material as if blowing in the wind through a night sky. Slight ruffles have been created at the end of the sleeves with the small bit of fabric we removed. Looking down at my own evening wear, I can see a mirror image in form, with a series of roses growing along the side. The material is still garbage, but at the very least we appear to be wearing high-end fashion, which is satisfactory enough for the time being.

"I believe we've done an excellent job. Thank you very much Kirumi."

"It was a pleasure Celeste, and thank you the help," she responds, turning suddenly to the dryer. "Oh look, the laundry is done. We should probably change back and get these to everyone's rooms."

After the quickest change back into our dresses possible, Kirumi picked up the finished pile and made her way to leave. However, just as she reached the door, she turned back to face me.

"I understand that currently you can't pay me... but if you would like me to assist you as a maid for the time being, I would really appreciate it," Kirumi told me earnestly.

"If you truly wish to... then that would superb!" I say in response, excitement growing within me. Kirumi gives one last petite smile, and then leaves.

**Obtained Friendship Fragment! (1/6)**

Kirumi is truly the best maid I've ever seen at work, and her skills outperform any of the butlers I've hired before. She seems too smart to use as a lackey, but merely to have her as an ally is good enough. That still doesn't explain the strangely positive effect she had on me the other day... perhaps I was merely picking up on her potential? In any case, I'd like to spend some more time with her in future.

_**XXXXXX**_

While wandering the halls afterwards, I encounter Kaito outside of the gym. As soon as he catches my eye, he gives a friendly wave, a water bottle in his other hand.

"Hey Celeste, great timing! I was just going in to practice for our workout tomorrow. Would you like to join in?"

**Spend time with Kaito? _Yes_ No**

"I would love to join you, but I don't have any gymwear on me, so I'll just watch," I inform him. Of course, even if I had any such clothes on me I wouldn't be joining in, but that's neither here nor there.

"Awesome! I'll go through all of our exercises for tomorrow!" Kaito responds.

We spend the evening in the gymnasium, with Kaito going through the rather basic workout programme. He demonstrates the push ups, pull ups and jumping jacks that would help with cardio and core muscle groups, before showing off the more advanced exercises he'd be doing with us in subsequent sessions. While I put on a pleasant face, and feign interest, internally I feel sick. Still, his enthusiasm and personal dedication is admirable. He's gone somewhat up in my ranking today.

**Would you like to give Kaito a compliment? _Yes_ No**

"Your physical strength is quite impressive. It must help a lot with being the Ultimate Astronaut."

"Gee, thanks Celeste. It's nice to hear something like that every once in a while," Kaito says with a wide grin on his face, as he gets up from exercising on the floor. As soon as he is up, I offer him a drink from his bottle; he gladly obliges.

"Still, it doesn't just take strength to be an astronaut - it takes a lot of other skills too. Medicine, linguistics, aeronautical engineering..." Kaito lists off.

"Linguistics?" I question. For someone as easily lead as Kaito appears to be, I would not have thought him to be an expert in languages.

"Yeah, linguistics. I can actually speak Russian, English and Japanese fluently," he boasts proudly, pointing to himself as he does so.

"Wow, really?" I ask, somewhat skeptically. Then, I throw at him: "Где здесь ванная комната?"

"Why would you ask me where the bathro- oh, you were just testing me! Very clever," Kaito says with a chuckle. "Can you speak Russian too?"

"I only know a few phrases; however I can read Cyrillic. I had to spend some time in Russia for a tournament a few years ago. How come you need all those languages for going into space?"

"Well, space travel is a global quest, with people all over the world involved," Kaito explains with a gleam in his eye. "Communication and teamwork is key in overcoming such difficult challenges!"

After this, Kaito takes another drink of his water, before he turns his eyes to me with a sigh.

"You know, that's why the whole 'spying' thing we pulled the other day didn't feel right to me. I understand why you had to, but when it comes to overcoming big challenges - like this whole Killing Game - you need a team you can trust," he says to me, following on with another sigh. "Y'know, it seems like there's a huge lack of trust among the group, and I want to try change that. That's why I think this exercise-activity will hopefully help us bond. And then, Monokuma won't be able hurt us ever again!"

"That is... quite an optimistic view, Kaito," I reply. Especially since he can literally torture us at any moment, I add in my head.

"The impossible is possible, All you gotta do is make it so!" Kaito says, with a big thumbs up and a fire in his eyes. "That's my motto, anyway."

"How interesting. That is quite a philosophy to live your life by."

"Well, when you look back at history that's how it's always been. Staying in one place was impossible til' someone invented agriculture; flying was impossible until someone built a plane; talking face-to-face to someone on the other side of the world was impossible til' someone stuck a satellite up in the sky," he tells me excitedly.

"And I suppose that is a part of why you wish to become an astronaut?" I ask, feigning interest in this hyperbolic speech which has gone on for far too long at this stage. Of course, he doesn't notice.

"That's a hundred percent right! Although..." Kaito pauses momentarily, then lets out a small laugh, "I guess I can say I'm a real astronaut now."

"Wait, so you've really been to space?" I enquire, intrigued.

"Heh... it's a story for another time. I gotta go for a shower now after that workout, so I guess I'll see you around. Good chat."

**Obtained Friendship Fragment! (1/6)**

With that, Kaito exits the gym, meaning I can finally leave this disgusting room. Although his company was good enough, and he is smarter than he appears, his unconditional faith in people seems to make him vulnerable. I almost feel bad for exploiting him like this: he appears to be a genuinely good person. Still, I have come too far to stop now. His sacrifice, along with all of the others, is one I must make in order to save myself. But in the meantime, I will try to seem a good friend to him.

_**XXXXXX**_

After spending the latter half of my day improving companionship, I begin to make my way back to my dormitory. With nighttime approaching soon, the last thing I would like is to be stuck in the halls all night, unable to sleep and left at the mercy of anyone else not in their room. As I make my way down the stairs, I hear faint shouting from one of the classrooms nearby. Could a murder be afoot? Or is it merely the result of rising tensions? In either case, witnessing whatever is going on could be advantageous. I make my way down the hallway, back towards the class I first awoke here in, and place my eye against the keyhole. Fortunately, the figures inside are perfectly aligned that I can see them.

Nagito Komaeda is inside, sitting on one of the desks, legs crossed, eyes glazed over, looking ready to fall asleep. In sharp contrast stands Chiaki Nanami, eyes wide awake, cheeks red and huffing frustratedly. Even from outside the door, I can sense the tension permeating the air.

"If you're going to kill me and take your revenge, can you do it quickly? If I'm not going to be tortured again I'd at least like to go to bed," Nagito tells her, resulting in an aggressive sigh. Revenge? I thought Chiaki killed Nagito the first time around? I keep listening, my curiosity peaked.

"Nagito, for the last time, I'm not going to kill you, I just want to talk!" she responds in an exasperated tone. A look of bemusement flashes across Nagito's face.

"Alright then, what's up?" he asks her in his usual calm. Her face turns even redder, infuriated at his nonchalance.

"What's up? Nagito, why aren't you helping the others? I know why you won't trust the rest of our class - even if your logic is glitched - but why not share the stuff about the first Killing Game with the group?" she questions. He shrugs slowly and dismissively in response.

"What good will it do? If they know, that's one less mystery to solve. And mystery is what makes any TV show interesting. Remember what Monokuma said about getting bored? I'm just trying to protect you guys," he explains, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Chiaki puts her hand over her face.

"If that's true, then why won't you just tell them that instead of making yourself out to be the mid-game boss battle?"

"Well, if I do that then they'll stop trying to find out the answers. Again, if the characters aren't interested in a plot point, the audience won't be either," he says slowly and steadily, as if explaining to a toddler. Chiaki stares him straight in the eyes, more passionate than I've ever seen her before.

"Why are you so set on making yourself the bad guy? Why?"

"Because it's probably the best role I can play. After all, I may be a weak and insignificant person, but if I can give you some challenge to unite around, then you might be able to overcome Monokuma this time," he says triumphantly, arms spread, a big smile on his face, his grey eyes swirling in an eerie fashion. Small tears begin to drip down Chiaki's face. She begins to crumple into herself, confidence fading.

"Why do you make it so hard to help you? I don't know how much you remember, but I remember everything. I can feel everything, for the first time since... since the island. And all I ever wanted was for us to work as a team. Why can't you stand with us, for once?" she murmurs quietly, sniffling. Nagito stands up, and wraps his arms around her slightly, giving the barest level of comforting possible.

"I'm sorry Chiaki. But I have a plan, you'll see, that I can't tell you about yet. Until it's finished, I have to keep being the miserable person I've always been. And when it's over, it'll make a hope so strong even Hajime will be proud," he says in his usual calm manner. With this ominous comment, she turns and pushes him aggressively back into the desk, causing its wooden legs to snap off and him to land in a pile of splinters. Quite unfortunately, he is miraculously unharmed it seems.

"I'm... I'm so sorry Nagito, let me help you up," she says quietly, offering him a hand.

"No, no, it's fine, I should've guessed it was a sensitive topic," he responds, with an awkward chuckle as if this were an everyday occurrence. As he's getting up, Nagito stops momentarily and picks up something shiny from the wreckage. "Hey, what's this? There's a note on it... 'Congratulations, you found a hidden key to the Love Shack! Use this to get some one-on-one, guaranteed no murder time with a special someone from the Killing Game for sexy fun. One-Use Only.' Huh, I guess my luck's the same as always."

"Yeah, I guess... I guess it is," Chiaki says, staring at the floor, Nagito now back on his feet. "When... when did it happen? I know I'm bad at dating sims but I thought... I thought we had a connection. Something special. When did Hajime... fall for you?"

"Heh, that's... a long story, and probably one that would be painful for you to hear. But on the bright side, him being on both our Soulmate-phones means he truly cares about both of us, right? At least it's nice to know someone cares, even if it's completely undeserved in my case," he says reassuringly.

I wonder what kind of figure this 'Hajime Hinata' is? For the same person to love and be loved by someone as normal as Chiaki and someone as bizarre as Nagito, he must be some kind of romantic Casanova. Maybe that's his Ultimate talent? I keep listening.

"Yeah, that seems right," she replies, head still down. Then, she turns back up to him, somewhat more relaxed, but dissatisfied. "I know you're unlikely to change your mind, but at least consider what I talked about, okay?"

Nagito pauses for a moment. Then, he lets out a sigh of disappointment and shakes his head.

"I'm sorry Chiaki, but you still don't get it. But I'd it makes you feel any better, I will consider what you said. After all, you're probably the most hope-filled person here. After all, you thought you could redeem people like us..."

"I didn't think it; I know it. I know you can be better. I'm not sure how much I can say cause of this thingy," she says, pointing down at her ankle, "but I know that you guys are all good people."

"You're too kind Chiaki. I really am sorry, by the way. For getting you stuck here," Nagito tells her, seeming genuinely sympathetic for once, but not as much as one would expect. Like he was apologising for forgetting her birthday, and not for causing her to be stuck in Hell. But is it not it her fault for killing him? Or does he have some kind of victim complex? I truly cannot solve these two thus far. Chiaki withdraws once more, putting her hoodie up and turning her attention to her Game Girl.

"...it's fine. Just my luck, I suppose. C'mon, we've got to get back to our dorms before night time," she tells the Lucky Student, and with that they begin to make their way towards the door. In the roughly five seconds before they can reach the door, I stride towards the classroom beside them in quick, light steps, and duck in behind the doorway. Once in, I hold my breath, as I listen closely to the two of them pass by. Only once I let out my breath do I notice the other presence in the room: Ruruka Ando, standing on a chair, right next to the ventilation grate separating this classroom from the one Chiaki and Nagito were just in. Our eyes meet, and a silence lingers, before she breaks it.

"I won't tell if you won't."

"Deal. What did you think of our classmate's little 'exchange'? Quite the topic," I ask, intrigued to hear her opinion. Ruruka scowls, then makes her way off of the chair.

"Well, Nagito's always been uber-creepy, even before... stuff I can't talk about happened. God fucking damn it, this anklet is the worst," she says in an irritated tone. Wait, judging by the way she spoke there, it sounds like Ruruka knew Nagito back when she was alive. I think the hint was so subtle the bear did not catch it: but what does it mean?

"I'm just hoping, bleugh, hate that word, that whatever his plan is I'm not involved. Anyway, like Gamer Girl and Ultimate Fuckwad said, we gotta head back to the dorms, it's like five minutes til' lights out. We'll say we were discussing baking tips or some garbage like that," she says to me in a slightly smug voice, as though her plan was ingenious. Still, it should suffice.

We enter through the massive double doors to see everyone already in their cells, with the exception of Peko, who stares coldly at us. However, she does not question us, and as soon as we begin making our way towards our rooms she heads to her own. As I climb up the spiral stairs and make my way down the rickety balcony, I peer in at my neighbours: Kaede is sitting on her bed, looking disheartened; Teru-Teru is already asleep; and Kaito...

"Goodnight Celeste! See ya in the morning," he says to me, with a thumbs up from his bed, in which he is already tucked in.

"Goodnight, Kaito," I wish him. I'm not two steps into my room when the evening announcement plays.

"Delinquents, this is an announcement from the head officer. It is now 10 p.m. As such, it is officially nighttime. The doors to the cells have been locked, and I suggest getting some shut eye. Sleep well everyone, and hopefully I'll see you in the morning... or not..."

I put on my newly stylised pyjamas, and as I get into bed, I begin to ponder my situation a bit more. I must admit, for the most part the company of this Killing Game is much more agreeable. But there are still my own old classmates to be contend with, each of whom has it out for me in one way or another. Not to mention whatever weird rivalries arise as a result of the new motive, like I witnessed earlier.

As for my killing... Murder weapons are not hard to come by, but ones which I could use efficiently are. The baseball bat and gym equipment are too obvious, and nothing in the sewing room seemed particularly of use bar the incinerator, which would be difficult to get someone into. Meanwhile, the kitchen has all sorts of utensils, but all of them require quick, decisive action, like Sayaka's plan, and I do not want to go the route she did. I must do some more investigating tomorrow in order to plot my escape. Now, however, it is time to sleep.

_**XXXXXX**_

**Review Feedback:**

**_HashtagJustMonika:_ It's great to see you're enjoying the fic, and hopefully it'll continue to entertain.**

**_Benji the Monocat:_ As Monokuma claimed in the beginning, an explanation for the mysterious appearances and absences shall be given... in due course. As for the sugar, I'd assume they'd have it to torture the health-nuts XD.**

**Please comment & review, all feedback good and bad is appreciated**


	8. (7-?)Ch1: Welcome to Hell!

*ding dong ding dong

"It is now 7AM. Time to get out of bed delinquents! The doors to your cells have been unlocked."

With my new pyjamas tightly hugging my figure, I luckily do not have to rush for dear life for the showers this morning. Stretching my arms out to the sky, I nonchalantly rise from my bed and grab my towel. I take a moment on the balcony to observe the others beginning their morning routine: Kaede is already headed out the doors to get washed; and Teru-Teru's curtains remain unopened. Across on the opposite balcony I can see Kirumi in her matching outfit, punctual as usual, with Hifumi and Nagito thankfully not up yet, and Sakura heading down her set of stairs already. I hear the door beside me open, and Kaito stumbles out, rubbing his eyes, a cheap purple dressing gown as his apparel. He looks me up and down, then gives grin.

"Wow Celeste, that outfit really suits you! Where'd you get the fancy digs?" he asks interestedly.

"Kirumi and I did some modification to our outfits to make them more pleasant," I respond smugly. Truthfully I could not care less about his opinion – looking aesthetic is its own reward – but I appreciate the praise.

"Man, its great to hear you're getting on well with the others, especially after the..." Kaito trails off as Mondo exits his suite downstairs and heads towards one of the double doors, then continues in a whisper, "rocky start you guys had with the crowd."

"Indeed. Hopefully we can continue to identify the real threats in our midst." I reply with obvious implication. Kaito seems somewhat put out by this.

"Y'know Celeste, Mondo doesn't seem to be that bad of a guy. I tried chatting with him yesterday in the Leisure room, and even if he's a bit grumpy and depressed, he's still just trapped here like the rest of us. I'm sure if you guys could come to some kind of agreement, it'd be a lot better for our chances of beating the Mastermind"

"What's this? You're beating off to the Mastermind!?" Monokuma yells with faux disgust as he pops up behind Kaito. A quick grab from myself is all that prevents him from going over the balcony.

"Like hell I said that! What is wrong with you?" Kaito asks, shock turning to disgust turning to anger.

"A lot. There is seldom anything right about Monokuma," I add on, throwing as much judgement in as I can. Monokuma seems saddened by this response.

"Oh come on, with the amount of fans I have, it'd be statistically unlikely for someone not to find me sexy, especially when I'm packing all this stuffing. I mean, don't people love things that are big and round? I wouldn't be surprised if one of the students was overcome with lust for me..." Monokuma groaned, rubbing his hands up his body from his hips in a sensual movement. It is all I can do to prevent myself from gagging. As the bear performs its gross display, the door behind him opens.

"Monokuma, as a chef I try many exotic flavours, but even I wouldn't want the rancid meal you're offering," the sleazy chef comments, in a disinterested monotone. The bear seems offended at this suggestion.

"Oh woe is me, for none of my students to have a teacher-crush on me! Then again," it says with increased enthusiasm, "perhaps you're saving all your love for your true loves? With all the romantic tension in the air, I'm sure someone will snap any day now..."

"As if! Now get lost, you freak of nature!" Ruruka yells up from the floor below. Annoyingly, the bear seems to have drawn the attention of everyone awake. Monokuma scoffs, then disappears in a puff of black smoke. I see Gundham appear from under his balcony, pentagrams and strange symbols poorly stitched into his dressing gown. It appears myself and Kirumi are not the only ones with appearances to maintain, even if some of us are better at it than others.

"Fair maiden, thou hast banished the foul demon Monokuma! Could you perhaps have the powers of a mage of light?" he asks Ruruka in his usual ramblings.

"Get away from me, you creepazoid! I swear if I have to spend another minute in this loony bin I'm going go bananas!" she exclaims before heading to the double doors with her own towel. Kaito seems disheartened with this development.

"I'll get Kaede to check on her once she's finished her shower. Tension like that builds in a place like this... we gotta look out for one another," he tells me before leaving for his own shower. Once he is off the balcony, I notice the chef is still standing there, looking at me.

"I gotta say Miss Ludenberg, you look real fine in them pyjama's. I bet you'd look even better though witho-"

"Gyoza. Do not even try it."

"G-g-got Ma'am!" Teru-Teru tells me with a salute before running off. Sometimes a bit of a threat can go a long way: in such matters it is always best to be graphic. After a moment of people watching from the balcony, I head off to finish my own morning routine.

_**XXXXXX**_

By the time breakfast rolls around, an awkward silence has filled the room. Due to my rush yesterday I was last on the washroom list today. Everyone is already seated when I get there bar those assisting in making breakfast: Kaito and Gonta are sitting together once more, while Ruruka is sitting with Chiaki, Mikan, Peko and Gundham. Perhaps she's trying to mend the bridge there? Nagito is sitting next to Hifumi and Sakura, to the horror of one and the calm tension of the other. Mondo is sitting alone once again, leaving Teru-Teru, Kaede, Leon and Kirumi absent. I make my way over to my new servant take my seat. The large transparent tube of phones sits looming in the centre of the dorms, like a dark cloud. At the very least Kaito seems cheered up at my approach.

"Hey Celeste, great news! Kaede and Gonta are gonna join us for our strength training tonight," he tells me with a renewed vigour. As soon as the silence is broken it is as though a spell has been lifted, and the other tables erupt in small talk.

"How excellent Kaito. Truly I cannot wait," I lie to him through my teeth. It appears I will have to be caught in this trap if my other plans are to come to fruition, but it does not make me anticipate the evening with any less dread. Gonta nods enthusiastically.

"Gonta very good at lifting heavy things. Strength is key aspect to being true gentleman," Gonta explains in what he probably believes is an insightful and thought provoking manner. Think of the big picture Celeste, just focus on that castle...

"Quite correct. You truly are the epitome of the modern masculine figure."

Gonta looks confused by my word choice for a moment, than nods and smiles upon realising I was complimenting him. As he then drones on about his training to become a true gentleman, I tap out and enter into my own little daydream of my handsome vampire-themed butlers and maids. Wait, I've never had a maid in my fantasy before. Perhaps this is a new development? I mean, I did enjoy my time yesterday with-

"Here comes breakfast!" Kaede cries as she bursts through the door, interrupting my train of thought.

"Get ready, cause this is gonna rock your mouth!" Leon tells as he carries a pair of bowls towards us. Behind him, Kirumi leads a food cart with a series of more bowl, and Teru-Teru following in the rear.

"I told you man, three people is way more than enough to help with making breakfast," Teru-Teru tells Leon as the punk base-baller lays a bowl at Kaede's place

"I'm just trying that whole team-building shit that everyone keeps talking about. Jeeze..." Leon states with an exasperated look, before pulling a chair over to our table, directly beside Kaede. She seems somewhat pleased at this development, but not excessively so. As Teru-Teru makes his way over to Chiaki's table, Kaede and Kirumi start handing out the breakfast. The porridge seems above average, as porridge goes, with a tiny amount tinned fruit placed decoratively around it. Taking a spoonful, I notice that it tastes nice, but once more not spectacular. Unlike yesterday, today it bears no mention: given none of the rest of us could do better, I suspect no-one wants to set the chef off. Finally, the two girls join our table once they have finished the rounds.

"So, Kaede, are you looking forward to our exercise tonight?" Kaito asks between mouthfuls of porridge. She smiles politely as she finishes off her own scoop.

"Sure thing! Anything that can help us team up is a great plan by my book."

"Well, if you're doing any kind of team building, then I'd love to join in! I'm a total team player," Leon adds in, determination in his eyes. I am not completely certain he could get less subtle in his intentions, yet Kaede either does not notice or does not care to acknowledge him. However, I do see an opportunity for a bit of fun here.

"My, I am most surprised to hear that. I thought you quit your Baseball team in favour of becoming a musician?" I ask coyly, seeing the blood vessel on his head reach bursting point. Given what happened the last time he tried to get in a girl's pants, I may be doing Kaede a favour, but if this produces a mildly comedic scenario it shall be more than worth it. The Ultimate Ball-brains begins to stutter and fluster.

"Well I uh.. I mean I... I just wanted to try something new, y'know! And baseballs so easy for me, I just kinda don't need to bother. Besides, music is more cool! Isn't that right Kaede? You're a piano player right?"

"I am the Ultimate Pianist, so of course I love music. But I think its far cooler to pursue what you love, and where your talents lie, than go after some idea of what 'coolness' is," she says, oblivious to the look of desperation in Leon's eyes.

"Yu-yeah, totally, I can see that," he states, sheepishly. Kaede gives off a carefree laugh.

"I'm glad you agree! I'm sure Kaito wouldn't mind if you wanna join our exercise group tonight."

"Yeah, no problem," Kaito murmurs, clearly not impressed at Leon's pathetic game.

After a few minutes of silence, during which we finish off our breakfasts, Kaede calls us all to attention once more. With the exception of Mondo, who continues in his dark and brooding act, the rest of us pay attention. She stands confidently against the Soulmate Phones, now the focal point of the room.

"Alright guys, now everyone's finished our breakfast, I think we should talk and see if we've found any more clues-"

"Actually Kaede, I believe we may be better off discussing the motive first before anything else this morning," Peko interrupts, causing Kaede to pause in surprise. After a moment of nervous flustering, Kaede responds.

"Why do you think we should talk about that? I mean, surely it'd be better if we all ignored the motive. That way, we're less susceptible to Monokuma's traps," she explains. Peko shakes her head silently.

"Unfortunately, I can speak from past experience when I say that ignoring a motive is no guarantee against action. Even if the majority do not pay attention to it, it only takes one person to get caught up for a murder to take place. I therefore suggest we investigate and discuss the motive thoroughly," Peko says to the group in her coarse, forceful voice. Kaede nods uncertainly, then moves to go back to her seat.

"The floor is yours then," she says quietly, as Peko makes her way up to where Kaede was standing. Peko stands straight, the bamboo sword still equipped on her back. She looks more like a general, as oppose to Kaede's scout-leader type approach or Chiaki's egalitarian leadership style.

"Thank you Kaede. I believe it is best to approach the motive with a plan of attack. The specific emotional response of love and affection, and its lack in our current environment, is exactly what Monokuma seeks to exploit in order to achieve his twisted goals. Hence, we need to whom among us is most vulnerable to this weak spot," she explains in an authoritarian manner, catching the attention of everyone in the room, even Mondo. After a pause, the usual stern expression on her face turns to a slight, sad smile, "and I will go first. I personally have a deep emotional connection to an individual named Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu. While I am not certain if he feels exactly the same way about me, it was in his name that I committed murder in my own Killing Game. However, given the disappointed reaction he gave in response to this, I have no intention of repeating this action. Whether you trust me less because of this is up to you; however, in order to nullify this motive I believe it is best to be honest."

With Peko finished her speech, she makes her way back to her seat, in an obvious cue for someone else to follow her up. Mikan makes her way up next.

"I-I-I also killed in the name of someone I loved... b-b-but it was Monokuma's fault! I can't remember everything, but I know I was i-i-infected with something, and I hallucinated someone who truly... loved me..." she says, her usual anxiety changing to a sensual tone, as she hugs herself tightly and blushes. After a few seconds of this she returns to normal, "but I would never kill someone in my right mind for that! Not when I know it was all... in my head..."

Mikan begins to tear up, then runs back to her dorm, water dripping down her face. I definitely feel reassured after seeing that display. Mondo gets up out of his seat a few seconds later, but instead of heading to the centre of the room he heads for one of the double-door exits.

"Where are you going?" Kaede yells out. Mondo doesn't even turn around as he responds.

"I don't wanna deal with this bullcrap. I'm going to lift some wei- I mean work out. Don't bother me."

Before anyone could even move to stop him, he's out of the door, slamming it behind him with a loud bang. Perfect: he will be so easy to frame it's almost sad. I feel the barest hint of guilt, but with a moment of focus on my all-important dream I manage to smash it back down again. With a complete lack of situational awareness, Gonta walks to the middle of the room.

"Gonta not know much of love. But, Gonta know love kind, and gentle, and sweet. Gonta would never kill for love, cause killing opposite of love. Gonta swears it!"

As he makes his way back to his seat, Kaede claps patronisingly, as if he were a toddler performing in a recital. Nonetheless, Gonta seems flattered by the act. With Gonta back in the seat, Kaito makes his way up to the attention point.

"Alright, so the other day I was one of the guys Monokuma singled out when he mentioned the motive. And I'll admit, there is someone I have very deep feelings for. Maki is an amazing person, and I know for a fact she wouldn't want anyone to die just so we could be together."

Kaito the looks around the room attentively, and looks off into blank space, before giving another determined smile.

"Monokuma's probably broadcasting the Killing Game again, to either the whole afterlife or just the rest of Hell. In any case, Maki, if you can hear me, I swear by the stars, I will get out of here!"

"Broadcasting?" I ask quickly. Since when has Monokuma been broadcasting the Killing Game? Does that mean... all the cameras in our rooms, weren't just for spying on us, they were... oh no.

"Geeze Kaito, spoiler alert! Not everyone has the same info you do, and you're cruising for a bruising with saying that kind of sensitive secret." Monokuma yells as he pops up atop the phone case, pointing down at Kaito's anklet. Kaito smirks in response.

"I didn't say anything about you-know-what, and you damn well know it! So get outta here!" Kaito yells back, seemingly emboldened by his love confession. Monokuma, perhaps confident that it got its point across, bounces away.

"Wait, wut? Since when are we being broadcasted anywhere?" Leon asks, eyes darting around the room.

"Yeah Kaito, what are you on about?" Kaede questions with a look of concern.

"Did Monokuma not tell y'all straight away?" Teru-Teru adds in, confused at our confusion.

"Tell us about what?" Sakura asks, but with a look of understanding on her face. I'm guessing she too has figured it out.

"Well, you guys never found out, cause you died, but as far as I know all of the Killing Games, including mine, have been broadcasted worldwide," Ruruka pipes in, not seeming too interested in the matter.

"Monokuma informed us of this shortly after our Killing Game begun," Chiaki explains to us, "as part of our first motive. Presumably, in most of the other games he kept it a surprise in order to gain shock-despair in the survivors."

"If that is the case, it is possible we are being broadcasted right now..." Kirumi ponders out loud. Nagito lets out a guffaw across the room.

"It doesn't really matter who's watching us now though, does it? If they could help us, they probably would have done so already."

"But if the previous games were being broadcasted, then why did nobody ever come to help us? Save us?" Leon yells out, seemingly baffled by the lack of answers. However, all that follows is silence. I watch the eyes in the room: Chiaki looks to Ruruka; Ruruka to Kaito; and then Kaito back to Chiaki. This could be an opportunity to boost my trustworthiness.

"I may be mistaken, but I believe those with an answer to this question are in no position to tell us. The specific individuals with Forbidden Actions are each among the last to die in their respective games. It would make sense for them to have answers to these questions – and for Monokuma to silence them."

"It may be so witch, but I gather another foul demon may yet hold the secrets we seek," Gundham says in an accusatory tone, followed by a stare towards Nagito. In response, he smiles and laughs in a carefree fashion. His laugh is like cold water dripping slowly down my spine each time I hear it. Only Monokuma's laugh could compare in disgust.

"I'm keeping some secrets for the sake of the game, but I don't know everything," Nagito asserts. It is bullshit. He is not even trying to hide his tells: his smile is unbalanced, eyes flicking around, forced relaxation in his hands. Now is not the time to call his bluff however: I shall save that for when I need to.

"I don't trust you, Nagito. You remind me to much of an annoying little shit from my class. He always lied too you know, and guess what happened to him?" Kaito says, face clenched in pent back aggression. Nagito smiles again.

"I don't know. Did you kill him? I'd be happy to let you do the same to me, if you wa-"

"That's enough!" Chiaki yells out, interrupting Nagito. The whole room goes dead silent. The seeming juxtaposition of the quiet, serenely calm Chiaki Nanami seen normally and the emotionally volatile girl in the presence of Nagito's shenanigans are quite attention catching. Was it in a rage like this that she killed him? After a moment, Kaede stands up, the positivity chipmunk determined to save the day once again.

"It might be better if we all split up now for a bit. Things seem to have gotten a bit... tense, and we can always continue this conversation later when things have calmed down."

The room murmurs in agreement, and within a few minutes the dorms are left empty, barring Kirumi, who is clearing up the plates. Now, who will I work on my bond with today?

**FREE TIME START!**

Given the amount of mysteries surrounding her, I decide to spend some time unraveling the anomaly that is Chiaki Nanami. I manage to track her to the leisure room. This being my first time entering here, I take some notes on the layout. The room contains the same scratchy carpet reminiscent of the rest of the rooms, and the stupid flickering LED lights, but at the very least there is some entertainment. A pool table stands in the centre of the room, a well-worn leather couch against one wall, and a small television monitor which does not appear to have been updated since the 80's atop a set of cheap faux-wood cabinets. Chiaki sits on the floor in front of the monitor, eyes glued to the screen, playing some kind of platformer.

**Spend time with Chiaki? _Yes_ No**

"May I join you?" I ask as sweetly as I can muster. Chiaki takes a moment to pause her game, then looks up to me with a somewhat blank expression.

"Oh, well, I guess if you want to, we can play a multiplayer game. Do you prefer competitive or co-op mode?"

"Competitive, always," I tell her as she sets up the game. Despite the fact I had never played Super Bash Sisters before, Chiaki was quite patient in explaining the controls to me. I lost every single game, but I expected that: one does not simply beat an Ultimate in their respective field. Nonetheless, the experience was not as boring as I anticipated.

**Would you like to give Chiaki a compliment? _Yes_ No**

"I must say, you truly are a master of video games. It is very impressive."

"Oh, thank you. That's very nice of you to say. Most people think it's kinda lame..." Chiaki responds, still staring at the monitor, but with a slight smile at the corner of her lips.

"I must disagree. While I am aware you tend towards digital games, as the Ultimate Gambler all of my endeavours exist in the form of games. Whether is is Poker, or Mahjong, or Texas Hold-Up, I have great appreciation for the level of skill required to master such endeavours."

"At least the games you play are legitimised and seen as 'adult'. A lot of people disregard digital games as being just for kids. The attitude is changing a bit, but not as much as I'd like. Still," she continues, in a dull tone, but with that small smile still present, "it's nice to hear someone appreciate it for a change."

"Of course. Really, when you think about it, all of the jobs us humans create outside eating and procreation are merely a social construct, so it is no different to make a career out of gaming than out of writing or sculpting."

That comment earns a small chuckle from her, but I could not tell you whether it was in agreement or denial. After that, we continue playing. I keep trying to make small talk...

"So, what is your favourite type of game?"

"I like almost all games equally, so I don't really have a favourite."

"What's the most you've ever won in a tournament?"

"One time, I won a Limited Edition Game Girl Advance with a Speedy the Hedgehog logo on the back. It also came with $10,000 dollars, but I didn't care so much about that."

"What interests do you have outside of games?"

"Not much. Mostly just my friends."

Each response, she keeps more focussed on the monitor than on any of the conversation. It is like trying to get blood from a stone: I am getting nowhere. Finally, I decide to pull out the big guns.

"I must ask, given you are the only other individual here with their victim, how do you feel towards Nagito Komaeda?" I ask innocently, hoping that at least I'll get some emotional reaction, some information out of her.

"Zzzzz..." is all I hear in response. I turn away from the screen, where Chiaki is still beating me easily, and see her eyes closed, a slight bit of drool down her chin, a snot bubble blowing out her nose. Is she... beating me in her sleep? I notice how her hands still move at lightning speed, as if out of pure instinct. The rudeness infuriates me: I start to snap my fingers in front of her face.

"Wake up!"

"Huh... oh, sorry Celeste. I guess old habits die hard." Chiaki giggles as she fades back into consciousness. She goes to turn the TV off, then packs up her stuff.

"I still haven't been getting much sleep since... arriving here," she confesses. Is this my in? I strike at the opportunity.

"Oh dear, that sounds dreadful. Is it because of..." I ask, leaving the question open. Hopefully, she'll give more than she means to that way.

"Like I said, old habits. I didn't sleep much during my own Killing Game – at least, not intentionally. Plus, ever since getting here, I haven't been able to stop thinking" she responds wistfully.

"Thinking? Whatever about?"

"Mostly about... How unfair this is. All of it. I feel like I'm at the worst bad end I could imagine in a choose-your-own-adventure game. I don't think I, nor any of my friends deserve this – in spite of everything."

"I understand how you fe-"

"No," Chiaki interrupts, softly, "no, you don't understand. You might think you do, but you don't. Still, I enjoyed playing with you. Let's do it again sometime."

With that, Chiaki Nanami, both the Ultimate Gamer and one of the strangest mysteries I have encountered since this Killing Game experience began, turned and walked out of the room. I still do not understand what her deal is. In fact, I may be even further from understanding than when I first entered. Still, I may hang out with her again soon, if it doesn't otherwise interfere with my plans.

**Obtained Friendship Fragment! (1/6)**

_**XXXXXX**_

After heading back to the kitchen for some afternoon tea (which, with no sugar to add, was less than exemplary), I go on the search for Kaito, only to find him back in the previous location I left: in the Leisure Room, tinkering with some blackened globe he found from one of the cabinets. Some more time with my future accomplice is likely a good investment.

"Ah, Celeste, perfect timing! You're good at sewing and stuff right?"

**Spend time with Kaito? _Yes_ No**

"Why, yes. What is it you wish to do?"

With that, Kaito grabs a set of paper out from behind him: on it lies a pattern that would appear to fit quite nicely over a few parts of the sphere which have broken inwards. On the pattern are marked many small, seemingly randomly placed dots.

"Could you cut me some black material out, in a pattern perfectly matching this pattern, with tiny pinholes in each of the spots marked here?" he asks me, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. I nod my head politely.

"I believe I may have a few fragments left from the sewing I did the other day; give me half an hour and I shall have them completed. May I ask what this is for?"

"Just trust me, it'll be a surprise! I've got some wiring to fix on this, so meet me back here as soon as you're done," he tells me excitedly. I take the patterns to the Laundry Room, and one each of the patterns is completed, I return to the Leisure room, where Kaito has placed the sphere in the center of the room and cleared quite a bit of the furniture to one side. I hand the patterns to him, and he quickly places them on the globe, before pressing a button on one side and turning the lights off. Suddenly, the dark room is filled with an assortment of glowing dots across the ceiling, illustrating the night sky.

"Yes, I managed to get the planetarium working! This is pretty sweet, huh Celeste?" Kaito exclaims proudly, sounding incredibly uplifted.

**Would you like to give Kaito a compliment? _Yes_ No**

"It is quite impressive that you could remember where each of the constellations were off the top of your head."

"Aww, well, when you're the Ultimate Astronaut, y'know..." he responds, and even though I cannot see him clearly I can tell he is blushing. It seems he took that well. He lies down on the floor beside the planetarium, and gestures for me to join him. Despite this being most unladylike, I find myself joining him on the floor. Just to get him on my side, of course. The carpet is scratchy, but the lights overhead, resembling the glistening stars, cause me to feel completely at peace for a moment.

"Beautiful, aren't they? Of course, it doesn't compare to the real thing, but when you're stuck inside, it's better than nothing. It would look better in a domed ceiling, but beggars can't be choosers I guess," Kaito notes wistfully. I continue to focus on the slowly rotating stars overhead.

"I cannot say I have ever taken much notice to the sky before. The sky was always to polluted over Tokyo to take much notice... and in Berlin, where I grew up, of course," I add, catching myself out of my daze at the last moment. Luckily, he does not seem to have noticed that I dropped my mask.

"I guess I'm lucky, at the very least, that I got to see them up close, before I died," Kaito continues.

"You were mentioning that. How did you get into space anyway? I thought you were only a trainee astronaut."

"Yeah, well Monokuma decided for my... death it would be funny to shoot me off in to space. Jokes on him though: I was dying anyway from an illness, so all he did was make sure my dream came true before I kicked it," Kaito tells me smugly. I chuckle slightly.

"How fortunate for you. Sadly, I never got to see my dream come true," I note.

"Well, no worries. I'm sure we'll all get to live our dreams when we break out of here!" Kaito says proudly. Suddenly, a smell of smoke fills the air, making me freeze in terror. Kaito immediately moves to turn the planetarium off, but it is too late: it has gone up in green flames, and in the distance we can hear Monokuma chortling.

"Goddammit, this is why we can't have nice things... Still, it was nice while it lasted," Kaito notes as he gets up to leave the room. As he turns the lights back on, he flashes a smile back my way.

"See ya later, Lady C!"

"Farewell Kaito," I respond confusedly as he shuts the door behind him. I let my shield down far too much there. I was practically sincere at some points there, no doubt encouraging him to come up with such a gaudy nickname for me. Still, I cannot deny how incredibly relaxing that was. Maybe... I don't have to put up such a front all the time? No, that would be ridiculous, I am already exactly who I want to be. Nonetheless, I would enjoy spending a bit more time with Kaito.

**Obtained Friendship Fragment! (2/6)**

_**XXXXXX**_

As I am walking to the kitchen for an afternoon snack, I pass by the Men's lavatories. This morning's activities have been quite tiring, and a nice cup of tea would do me good. However, I am no more than half way down the hallway when Mondo passes into my field of vision walking the opposite direction. There is nowhere to hide and no time to turn, so I continue forward as I was, smile politely and internally pray he does not stop me. Of course, I cannot be so fortunate.

"Hey Celeste, can I chat with you for a sec?" he asks in a cold tone, but with a fire raging behind it. Mondo blocks the path directly in front of me: there is no way forward without him able to grab me, and I would not be able to outrun him going in the opposite direction. Time to play innocent.

"Why, yes, of course Mondo. Whatever would you like to enquire about?" I ask with as much saccharine sweetness as I can muster. In the next moment, he is like lightning. I am up against the wall, his arms blocking me on either side. I am trapped in his grasp. I could go for a groin kick, but I am not certain that would work. Mondo's red hot cheeks encompass my field of vision, alongside the blood vessel near bursting on his forehead.

"Why'd you do it? Why did you fucking kill my bro?" he growls quietly, like a tiger going in for the kill. I begin to freeze up. I can't move, to speak, to resist... Get a hold of yourself Celeste! Lie, come on, lie goddammit!

"I... It was a long story, I... I had to be reunited, with my Momma and Papa..."

"FUCKING BULLSHIT!" Mondo roars in my face, spit flecking all over me. I shudder involuntarily. I can feel my face tighten, as I force myself to not betray my fear. To not make myself look like a victim. My neutral expression covers my face. Suddenly, he goes for my neck. His large, meaty hands engulf my trachea, making breathing exceptionally difficult.

"I overheard your little 'talk' with your bullshit space friend! You killed Taka for a fuckin' wad of cash, like the money hungry bitch you are! SAY IT!" Mondo continues, once more starting in a low growl before ascending into a roar. I can't... breathe...

"Kaito... knows where I am... you won't... get away..." I barely get out, my feet dangling off the ground. I go for that kick, but it's too late: I can't get any power behind it, and the cushioning on my dress softens the blow.

"The piece of shit might know that, but he won't know that it's me. Now, you'll be stuck here forever, like you deserve, you fucking bit-"

"NO, THAT'S WRONG!" I hear a yell from behind him. Mondo turns to face... I can't see, my eyes have gone blurry.

"Mondo, put her down and step away. My friends are on their way, and you won't have time to kill me too, so back off!"

All of a sudden, I hit the floor, and feel the air fill my lungs. Oh precious, precious oxygen! I pant and shake, as the blurriness subsides. I feel something wet hit my face. I hear Mondo address my saviour.

"Listen, you got some balls standing up to me, so I'll leave right now. But if you care about your fuckin' friends, then you should keep an eye on the snakes," he says coldly. I hear him stomp off. Seconds later, I get offered a hand up. Now I can see again, I realise that it was none other than positivity-only Kaede who saved me there.

"Kaede... thank you, for saving me from that creature..." I murmur, letting a tear roll down my face. I am still shaking, my fear barely subsiding, but even with my frazzled nerves I must take advantage of this situation. Kaede, however, won't look me in the eye.

"Are you okay? Will I take you to Mikan?" she asks. I cough unintentionally, then shake my head.

"I will be fine. I don't think anything permanent happened," I respond truthfully, leaving out how I do not trust the supposed 'Ultimate Nurse' in the slightest.

"That's good, I guess... I'd recommend checking in with her though," Kaede tells me, with a barely held together smile, "just in case."

"Where are Kirumi, Gonta... I thought they were on their way?" I ask. She chuckles slightly, then frowns.

"That... was a lie, to try and disarm the situation."

"Well, thanks to that lie I am currently still standing, so I believe it was in good taste," I reassure her. She still fails to meet my eyes.

"Yeah, it's good that a murder didn't happen. I... couldn't help but overhear some of the conversation before I intervened," she tells me. I scoff indignantly.

"I am most sorry you had to hear the ramblings of an insane lunatic."

"Listen Celeste, what he was saying matched up with what Kaito told me. He's very honest you know. So whatever game you're playing, please stop. You already have enough on your plate just trying to stay safe at the moment, so stop trying to make him work for you and just be his friend, please," Kaede tells me, finally staring me down, determination and protective instinct reflected in her gaze. She turns to leave before I can get a word out, then turns slowly at the last minute.

"I hope you feel better soon. See you at training tonight."

With that, Kaede Akamatsu walks back from whence she came. That utter bitch, daring to accuse me after something so awful happened. Even if she is correct in her assumption. The woman has such a hero complex, I can practically see her halo. I bet she saved me just to satisfy her own twisted ego, I bet. What is worse, she is actually on to my plan. I need to off her, and quick. Tomorrow morning, that skank will not see the light of day. Right now though, I need some tea, and to kill some time til that fucking ordeal of exercise tonight.

**FREE TIME START!**

_**XXXXXX**_

**Review Feedback:**

**_HashtagJustMonica:_ Don't worry, you won't have to wait too much longer for the first killing.**

**_HamsterGoddess:_ Glad to hear you're enjoying the story so far! And you're right, it is strange... I'll leave that hanging there. I work really hard to keep the characters close to canon in the beginnings of my story, but where they develop from there, we'll have to wait and see.**

**_6747:_ Like Monokuma said at the start, even the strange inclusions shall be explained. Also, thank you! I do try to stick to canon.**

**_GunghamYaBoiTanakha:_ Well, it's hardly likely Monokuma will throw Junko/Tsumugi into the game (though they may appear later), and Korekiyo's absence has been explained. Mukuro technically never killed someone in a Killing Game, or one of the main ones at least. As for Juzo, he is mysteriously absent. Hmm...**

**Please comment & review, all feedback good and bad is appreciated**


	9. (8-?)Ch1: Welcome to Hell!

When I enter the kitchen, I encounter none other than my spying companion, Ruruka Ando, in the midst of making... biscuits? A tad look of panic covers her face as soon as she sees me.

"I swear, I was making them to share with everyone!" she lies abruptly, clearly caught off guard. "Plus, they're like nearly sugar free, so the dumb horny chef won't even notice."

**Spend time with Ruraka? _Yes_ No**

"Why, of course. If you wish, I can help you with baking them as best I can... provided I can have a nearly-sugar-free cup of tea."

We spent the next while enjoying some tea and rolling out some dough and enjoying a delicious cup of tea – although I stopped assisting halfway through as Ruruka got quite insistent that I 'wasn't doing it right'. After a while in the oven, we took the tasty treats and placed them on a baking tray, with both of us having a few testers. She's gone somewhat up in my ranking today.

**Would you like to give Ruruka a compliment? _Yes_ No**

"These biscuits are simply divine! You seem quite talented at baking," I tell her honestly.

"That's super sweet of you to say! Of course, I'm great at everything I do, so being good at baking is no big deal," Ruruka informs me without a hint of modesty. She then lets out a sigh. "I wish I could remember my talent though, since that's what I'm the best at."

"It truly must be most unfortunate to not remember. Perhaps if you discuss with me some of your life story, we can figure it out from the gaps?" I ask, interested in prying potential weak spots.

"Well, I've hardly got anything better to do. I suppose it all starts back when I met my ex-best friend when I was like five, Seiko Kimura. Seiko by name, psycho by nature – I already had found my ultimate talent by then, and she was mad jealous."

"I understand. The common folk rarely appreciate us Ultimates," I agreed knowingly. I thought back to my own mother and father, in the time... before I was Celeste. They never truly appreciated my dream: the thrill I felt risking it all, the excitement of winning big. When I decided to create a brighter past for myself, they were among the first things I cut off. Before I got sent here, I hadn't even talked with them for several years...

"Oh no, she was an Ultimate too. I mean she was jealous of how amazing I was in every other regard. Seiko was book smart, the Ultimate Chemist so no duh, but had like, no social skills. I was prettier than her, had a boyfriend before her, had more friends than her..." Ruruka continued, now caught in her own little world.

"But still, I let her help me with like, tests and stuff, since I'm such a nice person you know? And then what does the backstabbing skank do but go and sabotage me! During end of year exams no less," she yells, bashing her hand off the table, "and then she shows off how mental she really is, because she tried to blow us all to smithereens! Like what the hell Seiko? I was your friend, and this is how you treat me? What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

I try to remain tactfully calm as Ruraka keeps screaming off into empty space. Her face has gone a darker shade of red than her pink clothes, and flecks of spit are flying all over. I clean my face off with a handkerchief, then address her.

"Pardonne-mois, but I believed we were discussing your past, not your friend..." I say, trying to steer the conversation to less controversial grounds. She stares me down, no less fury in her eyes.

"Are you saying I don't exist without her then, huh? I'm not dependent on her! How dare you say that?" she responds in an incoherent mess, raising from her chair in hurried state.

"I wasn't implying that in the slightest!" I respond indignantly. Ruruka huffs in response, then goes to grab the cooling cookies off of the baking rack. After pouring them into her handbag, she zips it up and heads for the door.

"You can make your own biscuits then if you're gonna be such a bitch about it. Honestly, the lack of gratitude going around these days..."

With that, Ruruka made her exit, leaving me with my tea and singular cookie. As she slams the door behind her, I can't help but feel I've tapped off a sensitive topic. Still, at least I know to avoid the topic of past friendship in future conversations. She also seems quite prone to projecting here feelings onto other people. I wonder, if I could talk to this Seiko individual, what she would say? At the very least, I know Ruruka a little bit better now.

**Friendship Fragment Obtained (1/6)**

_**XXXXXX**_

As I am wandering through the halls, searching for a mild distraction to take up my time, I happen to catch the creep, Nagito Komaeda, making his way into the Nurse's office. Deciding to make sure he can't grab anything dangerous, and to investigate the room for myself for the first time, I follow him in.

When I walk in, I encounter what looks like the set of a cheap horror film. The center of the room holds a blood-splattered operating table, and the light flickers worse in this room than any of the others. The floor is covered in cracked white tiles, and wood cabinets with cracked glass fronts line the back wall, filled with chemicals. Bluntly on display on the table are a set of scalpels, and a first aid kit is hung on the wall, seemingly the only modern medicine in this barbaric room. And, most hideous of all is the noose, hanging ominously from the light fixture. The ceiling is higher in this room than most of the others, barring the dormitory hall, making it the only place where this item could be... utilised.

"Oh, hey Celeste. I was just grabbing some bandages and petroleum jelly: I tripped and fell down the stairs earlier and scraped my knee. Wanna help me look for it?"

**Hang out with Nagito? _Yes_ No**

Despite the danger present, the opportunity to look through these cabinets for dangerous or poisonous materials is worth having to spend time with the most hated man in this Killing Game. While searching, I find a number of highly dangerous poisons, ranging from quick, painless deaths to long, agonising deaths – as well as the bandages, and the jelly. It is not as creepy as it could have been...

**Give Nagito a compliment? Yes _No_**

If you have nothing nice to say, sometimes it is best to say nothing at all. Nagito props himself up on the operating table, and pulls his trouser leg back to apply his first-aid to the surprisingly large scab.

"Why did you not go to see Mikan? I am certain she would love to treat you?" I ask as I slowly make my way around the table, a scalpel discreetly grabbed from the kit in case of a surprise attack. Now that I have gained my information, I need to escape this ticking time bomb.

"Oh, I don't think she'd really be happy treating me. After all, most people think I'm trash. They're right about that, of course," he replies cheerfully, as he grabs a tiny scissors to cut some of the bandage from the roll, "so I'd rather not bother. Besides, I get injured quite often, so I know how to treat myself. Did you know falls are the second most leading cause worldwide of accidental death?"

"I was not informed of that," I respond cautiously, now nearly back at the door. I keep my eyes on the predator in front of me. "What is the leading cause of accidental death?"

"Motor accidents. It's very common."

Within seconds, I can see it again. The red truck heading for me, arcing through the air, please stop make it stop make it stop -

I catch my breath, and I am back in the room. Eyes still focused on the threat. No wonder Monokuma designed my execution that way: he wanted to give me a common death, representative of all I left behind. A sour taste fills my mouth. Thankfully, as far as I am aware I have kept my face straight throughout all of this, and so I just giggle and smile.

"How interesting. Well, I must be going now."

Just as I turn to open the door, he calls me back. I turn my head, one foot stuck out the door already. His trouser leg back down, he looks at me with a false, carefree smile.

"If you wanted to stab me with the scalpel, you really should've gone for it when I was bent over. I'd be fine if you wanna kill me, so next time don't hesitate."

I feel myself about to freeze, but then abruptly give a smile, chuckle, and slam the door behind me. I don't slow down til' I reach my room. Nagito Komaeda is merely a person, and yet when I am in his presence, the lack of predictability makes me feel threatened like nothing else. I may yet spend more time with him, if only I could understand him – and from that, make him less of a threat.

**Friendship Fragment Obtained! (1/6)**

_**XXXXXX**_

I stare at the clock on the walls in the dormitories. 21:00. It is time that Kaito's exercise regime will be starting. I've already changed into my pyjamas, as it is the most appropriate wear I have for the occasion, but nonetheless I am still dreading it. Of course, by showing up fashionably late, I should be able to avoid the bulk of the hard labour, but I must make an appearance. As I leave for the Gym, I pop my head into Ruruka's room downstairs.

"I'm headed off to the gym now to meet up with Kaede's group."

"Does it look like I care?" she responds in a dull monotone, more preoccupied with one of the biscuits she's eating. Of course, I'm well aware of her lack of interest: I just need someone to know where I am, especially since my altercation earlier. On the opposite side of the dormitory hall, I can see the light shine behind Mondo's closed curtain. It seems almost everyone else is absent in one regard or another: no lights are on in any of the other rooms. Before I can head for the large double doors, Kirumi walks out of them, showing off her own gorgeous custom pyjamas.

"Ah, there you are Celeste. Kaito requested I come and retrieve you, since you were the only person absent," she informs me politely. I nod my head.

"I was just on my way. Would you mind if I stop for a glass of water first? I am quite parched," I lie. Kirumi nods her head, and we begin walk in the opposite direction from whence she came. Hopefully if I keep this up, I won't even have to break a sweat.

Making our way up the stairs, lights flickering in their usual irritating fashion, I begin to imagine my murder plan for tomorrow evening. After a long period of planning, I finally have it figured out.

The essence of the plan revolves around the scalpel: I shall feign a hand injury tonight, and in the morning request Kaito write a letter for me to Kaede asking her to do the laundry for me instead that day; meanwhile, I shall forge a letter in Kaito's handwriting to request Kirumi to clean the gym up instead of laundry; assuming that all goes well, and the letters are left anonymously in their rooms, I can ask Kaito if he would like to hang out. At some stage he will have to go to the bathroom, and that is when I shall head to the Laundry room and dispose of Kaede. Finally, I shall clean off the scalpel, and ask him to hold it in order to protect me. The final part of the plan is to drug Kaito: not something deadly, but something disorientating at the very least. I believe I spotted some Rohypnol and Ketamine in the Nurses Office. Eventually, the body shall be discovered: but by that time, I'll have planted enough evidence on Kaito that even his sluggish denial shall be not be able to clear his name. The one issue with the plan is my lack of alibi: but with Kaede out of the picture, I shall hopefully be able to play the poor accused victim part quite well.

I am interrupted from my plotting by the sound of chanting as we reach the hallway connected to the kitchen. I pause, and look to Kirumi. The two of us stand, stalled, listening to the ominous hum. It appears to be coming from the room next to the Nurse's office, which I believe the edgelord described as a 'chapel'. Given it is one of the last open rooms which I haven't visited yet, my interest is more than piqued.

"You go ahead Kirumi, and tell everyone something is up. I will stay here and keep watch," I whisper; she nods her head, and silently rushes ahead to the gym. I make my way up towards the door, and push gently against it. Silently, it opens the slightest bit, allowing me a peak inside.

The room is candlelit, a wooden shack motif along the walls, with a series of pews leading up to a pulpit. A stained glass window depicts the new, demonic incarnation of Monokuma on the backwall, and the light coming through the window flickers and fades, as though coming from a fire. Along the walls hang chains and manacles, and in the centre of the room lies a large pentagram.

Sitting at five corners of the pentagram are Gundham, Chiaki, Mikan, Peko, and Nagito. Each has a strange, seeming latin phrase marked on their forehead in what appears to be chalk. Gundham and Mikan appear to be chanting enthusiasically and madly, while the rest seem to just be going along with it. Suddenly, Gundham brings his hands together, and the group silences.

"My fellow heathens, we have come together on this dark eveni-"

"S-s-sorry to interrupt, but where's Teru-Teru? I t-t-thought he was coming," Mikan interjects.

"He said he was busy tonight. Besides, Gundham stated we only needed 5 people for his ritual, right?" Chiaki replies in a calm monotone.

"Indeed. Now silence, as we must prepare for the transference of power!" Gundham responds. With that, he takes his cloak and shirt off, revealing a surprisingly toned body. Then again, given how much effort he puts into his appearance, I suppose it is not too shocking. The edgelord takes the chalk, and draws yet another sigil over his left ab, roughly over where the heart would be. Then, he begins to yell out loudly.

"Spirits of the Damned! I call you unto me-"

"We're right here, you don't have to yell," Nagito chuckles. Gundham sends him a dagger stare, then continues.

"I call you unto me, to return the Lord of Darkness to his true power! Return to me what hence was stolen, or face the wrath of the seventh seal, Gundham Tannakha!"

Suddenly, I feel the floor start to rumble. I keep careful hold of the door to prevent it swinging open and revealing my presence. The others in the room seem quite surprised that any actual event is occurring. Gundham is grinning wildly. And then, finally,

*pppprrrrrrrrrttttt

"Oh, excuuuuuuuuse me, I get so terribly gassy sometimes." Monokuma says as he shakes his butt atop the pulpit. The rest of the menagerie appear absolutely disgusted, and the edgelord looks like someone just kicked his pet dog. Then, he starts up again.

"Foul beast, thou hast entrapped this location within an anti-magic sigil, hasn't thou?!" He yells at Monokuma. Meanwhile, Nagito gets up from the circle.

"While I am more than happy to help you guys, I'm kinda tired right now, so I'm gonna head to bed," he says in a slightly disappointed voice. Seconds later, Mikan and Peko get up also. I hurry away from the door, the last glimpse I see being of Chiaki comforting Gundham as Monokuma laughs shrilly.

Past the girls toilets I head, thinking of how idiotic some of my companions appear to be. I cannot deny, seeing Gundham look so disappointed was incredibly amusing, but the way they were carrying on I nearly thought they were going to ritually sacrifice someone. Finally, I manage to reach the gym, at what is hopefully the end of their session. Preparing myself for a big entrance, I walk in...

...to Kaede, Kirumi, and Leon staring directly at the door. No one is exercising, and Leon and Kaede appear greatly irritated.

"I am so terribly sorry to be late, I was -"

"We know where you were, Gundham told me about the ritual he was trying earlier. If you'd just asked, then you'd have known it was nothing to worry about," Kaede informs me irritatedly.

"Where's Kaito, and Gonta? I thought they were joining -"

"Kaito left when Kirumi told us you were keepin' an eye on the dumb ritual, said he 'wasn't feeling well' and to 'go ahead without him'," Leon informs me as he sarcastically air quotes. Shit, I forgot how uncomfortable Kaito feels about spying. This is most inconvenient.

"Gonta and Sakura trained for about twenty minutes, then left. Because Sakura decided to join us too, on time. You know Kaito was organizing this on your behalf really, right? It's kind of easy to figure out what he means most of the time," Kaede tells me grumpily. I can feel my cheeks starting to blush. While I would like to start defending myself from this onslaught, now may be the time to play penitence.

"I apolog-"

"Save it. I'm not the one you need to say sorry to," Kaede tells me disappointedly, as she makes her way past me to leave. Leon follows a few seconds late, sticking me a middle finger as he does so. Lastly, Kirumi approaches.

"I understand why you stopped to listen in on what Gundham was doing. It was highly suspicious. However, in my professional opinion, I advise talking to Kaito," Kirumi tells me bluntly, then curtsies as she leaves me alone in the hall, halfway into the gym, on my own.

When I return to the dormitories, I see that all the other cells already have their curtains closed and lights off, barring Kaito's. The clock reads 21:55. As I make my way up the spiral staircase, I pass Kaede's room; then Teru-Teru's; and reach the room of who I hoped would be my accomplice. My plan will no longer work as I originally had it, but I still need Kaito on my side. Looking in, I see him facing away from the door, lying on the bed, not even out of his clothes.

"Kaito..." I call out, somewhat quietly to avoid waking the neighbours. No response.

"Kaito, I apologise most sincerely for being late to the work out tonight. I was just suspicious and..."

No response. I feel the slightest pangs of actual regret. I tend to squash that feeling on arrival when I feel it, but at this moment in time it may actually be useful. A tear slips down my face, half forced, half sincere.

"Kaito, I'm really, really sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

I turn to the clock once more. 21:59. I make my way back towards my room, just as the door locks behind me.

"Delinquents, this is an announcement from the head officer. It is now 10 p.m. As such, it is officially nighttime. The doors to the cells have been locked, and I suggest getting some shut eye. Sleep well everyone, and hopefully I'll see you in the morning... or not..."

Tomorrow is another day. I'm sure I can convince Kaito to come around, and then things will be back on track again. Stupid Gundham and his stupid ritual. I would've only shown up slightly late if not for him. This is definitely his fault. Maybe I'll kill him instead. Stupid Kaede, sticking her nose in someone else's business. Why should she care how Kaito and I get along. And Leon, following along just in the hopes Kaede might notice him. They are all morons, I swear, morons! Because this is not my fault. Because... if I admitted that...

I would be admitting failure, once again, due entirely to my own poor decisions. With that final thought, I drift into unconsciousness.

_**XXXXXX**_

*ding dong ding dong

"It is now 7AM. Time to get out of bed delinquents! The doors to your cells have been unlocked."

The morning announcement causes my eyes to slowly and painfully open, as I slowly but surely remove myself from the bed. I was tossing and turning all night, trying to clear my head of intrusive and annoying thoughts. About forgiveness, and sincerity, and violence. My headspace is in a mess; nonetheless, the day must be faced. Rising gently from my bedsheets, I rub my eyes as I make my way out to the balcony.

"Yawn... Good morning, ma'am," the pervert greets me in his dressing gown, looking far more sluggish than usual. I send a scowl his way just as for the hell of it.

"Jeez, looks like someone's grumpy. Still, you're hardly the only one. Seems Kaito had a bit too much to drink last night," he retorts, pointing at the... open... curtain...

I rush to the window of Kaito's room, and peer through. He is in the same position as last night. Clothes still on. Unmoved.

"Kaito?" I call out, cautiously. Internally, I suspect what is already the case. And yet for once, I feel the need to deny it. I call out again.

"Kaito, are you okay?"

No response. I open the door. No response. I walk loudly towards him. No response.

I reach out to touch him.

"Celeste, you can't just barge into someone's room-" I hear behind me. From Kaede.

There is no response to my touch. He is absolutely freezing.

*ding dong dong ding

"A body has been discovered! Now then, after a certain period of time, which you may use however you please, a class trial will occur."

_**XXXXXX**_

**Review Feedback:**

**_Guest:_ Hopefully Ruruka didn't mean it that way XD**

**Please comment & review, all feedback good and bad is appreciated. Sorry if this chapter is shorter than usual, but I had a tough time deciding where the last chapter should end and this one would begin.**


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